


Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

by JackEPeace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AUs, F/F, hogwarts!, prompts that turn into stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackEPeace/pseuds/JackEPeace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye is starting to regret signing up for Care of Magical Creatures. If she can’t even manage to make it through class without getting burned and attacked by her Blast-Ended Skrewt then how is she supposed to handle it when she has a pet dragon. Not that, you know, she’s actually ever going to be getting a pet dragon. But a girl can dream, right?  (Hogwarts AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had this prompt in my tumblr inbox for a while and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to sit down and write it. Also this story got way out of hand because I suddenly felt the urge to just keep writing and writing and this is what happened! Also I feel like I need to point out that without the Internet and (most importantly) the Harry Potter Wiki this story would have been extremely difficult to write. Seriously, you can find anything on that site! Well done people. Also there are a few things I changed around to suit the story's needs so I know it's not exactly the same but hopefully you can go with it. Title comes from the song of the same name by The Police because I love that song and because I think I'm clever apparently. Enjoy!

"You are not!"

"Am to!"

"You're just a liar! You're not special! You're just a lying stupid liar who doesn't even have parents because your own parents don't like you!"

It's not like Skye means to. But suddenly the bratty little boy in her fifth-grade class is on his ass amidst overturned desks and textbooks and loose-leaf paper. Skye looks down at her hands, suitably impressed. She was just going to levitate a lunchbox to show Johnny Storm that she was magic no matter what he said but this is totally better.

Except her teacher doesn't seem to think so. Honestly, it's clear that her teacher and the rest of the class don't really know what to think. Everyone is gaping at Skye and the classroom probably hasn't been this silent ever.

Johnny sits up, his eyes filling with tears. "She pushed me!" He howls. "Did you see that!"

That seems to be a suitable excuse for their teacher, who would rather use that explanation than think about how else Johnny could have ended up on the ground. She doesn't bother to think about how Skye was on the other side of the room as she sends Skye down to the principal's office.

The principal calls Mother Superior and Skye looks down at her hands instead of listening to the phone call. She's heard conversations like this one before, after all. She wonders what else she can do.

In the privacy of her room she levitates the covers of the beds while the other girls are sleeping. She makes one of the bushes by the playground bloom. She ties together the laces of Mary Catherine's shoes when she picks on one of the little girls. I am magic, Skye thinks each night when she tries to fall asleep, I am special.

When Skye gets off the bus one afternoon, tangled up in the swarm of the other St. Agnes kids, she spots a man waiting outside the front office and instantly knows that he's there for her. And because of what she's been doing. She wants to turn and run but it's not like this is the first time someone has shown up to tell her that she's in trouble or that she's a disappointment for whatever reason. She's learned by now that it's better just to endure.

"Skye!" Sister Mary Eunice calls out to her as she tries to sneak by. She's been chatting with the man and now she smiles brightly as Skye as she gestures for her. "Come here! Skye!"

Skye trudges over, head down, feet dragging. "Yes, Sister?" She mumbles.

"This man would like to talk to you." Sister Mary Eunice explains, as though this is something that Skye should be excited about. As though this hasn't happened before. Though, to be fair, Skye has never had someone show up at St. Agnes looking for her specifically.

Is he in the market for a surly ten year old or something?

But Skye knows better. She knows it's about the magic.

When they're in one of the empty meeting rooms, the man introduces himself as Phil Coulson and says that he teaches at some school with a funny name that Skye has never heard of before. "It's a special school." He tells her. "For special little girls and boys like you."

Skye feels something bloom in her chest. She looks up at the man, who is still smiling at her. "I am special."

His smile seems to grow and he just nods. "Yes." He assures her. "You are."

And that's how it starts.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye is special but she is not the only one. That's what Coulson explains as he takes her away from St. Agnes and on her first plane ride. He even holds her hand as they go through the crowded airport, like he's her real dad or something. It makes it a little hard for Skye to focus on what he's saying, how he's explaining that there are hundreds of special children out there in the world. "Witches and wizards," Coulson explains as they wait to board their plane, "children born with the ability to do magic."

"Does that mean that…my parents are magic too?" Skye questions tentatively. Maybe her parents are at this fancy school.

Coulson gives her the same sad sort of smile that Skye is used to seeing whenever she asks the sisters about her parents and Skye wants to kick him. "I don't know." He tells her. "I'm not sure who your parents are or where they…and not all magical children have magical parents so there's no way to know."

Skye tries not to be disappointed. Maybe her parents weren't special like her. Maybe they don't know magic. Otherwise, they never would have given her away.

"At Hogwarts you'll be with other children who can do the things you can. And you'll learn how to control your abilities and make them stronger. You'll learn how to create potions and recite spells." Coulson explains. "You'll learn about dragons and-"

"Dragons?" Skye looks at him, saucer-eyed. "Real dragons?"

Coulson laughs and starts telling her all about the different types of dragons in the world and she feels bad for wanting to kick him earlier.

* * * * * * * * 

Coulson takes her to place hidden behind a wall, a place where there are so many things that Skye never imagined that she would see outside of the stories that the sisters used to read them before bed. Stores full of powders and roots and things in jars and glass bottles. Stores packed to the brim with books with dusty covers and funny titles; books that smell old, books that are so thick and heavy Skye can barely carry them. Books that are furry and have eyes and books that move.

Stores that sell robes and brooms and cauldrons and things for some game called Quidditch that Skye has never heard of before. She gets ink and quills and parchment; she gets second-hand robes that are too big but that Coulson assures her will be just fine in time. Skye can't help but gape at all the people, all the children and teenagers and adults that are just like her. All the people who seem to understand what's going on when all she can do is stand and stare.

Coulson stops along the way to talk to a family full of red-headed children and as she waits for him to finish, Skye looks enviously at all the children gathered in a store that sells brightly colored candy and smells like sugar and chocolate. She holds the bags tight to her chest, telling herself that it doesn't matter when she already has all these new things and she doesn't need candy and chocolate too.

But who doesn't like candy?

The door chimes as it swings open and a little girl in a button-down shirt and skirt walks out behind her parents, rummaging through the bag in her hand. She doesn't seem to mind when her parents instantly join Coulson and the others, chatting animatedly about a Quidditch match.

The girl looks up from her bag and sees Skye glaring daggers through the window of the candy store. "You should go in." She tells her. "They have lots of good stuff there."

"I can't." Skye mumbles, looking down at her feet instead.

Skye feels the girl sizing her up and this is something else she's used to. All kids seem to possess the ability to took at her and realize that she's not like them; they can see the foster kid inside of her within seconds, no matter what.

"Here." The girl holds the bag out to Skye. "I got way too much. Mum let me get whatever I wanted because it's my birthday and if I eat all these sweets I'll just feel sick."

Skye looks at the girl doubtfully before setting aside her bags and reaching for the candy. "It's your birthday?" She questions as she picks out a brightly colored piece of candy.

The girl smiles brightly and nods and Skye can't help but grin in response. Though maybe it's because of the candy in her mouth and the sweet flavors dancing across her tongue. "I'm eleven." The girl tells her. "Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten my letter. Wasn't it so exciting? Mine came by owl! I love owls. They're my favorite. What about you? My name is Jemma, by the way. What's yours? Do you have an owl?"

And that's how it starts.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye finds Jemma on the train, relieved because everyone seems to know everyone and she's just the foster kid on the first day of school all over again. Jemma is sitting in a compartment already with another boy with frizzy hair and a rat in a cage sitting on his lap.

Jemma smiles at her, waving for Skye to join them. "Skye, this is Leo. But everyone calls him Fitz." She introduces quickly. "And that's Skye. She's from America." She says this like it's far more impressive than having magical powers or the fact that they're on a train heading to some magical wizard school.

Both of which Skye thinks are way more impressive than being from America.

"Hi." Fitz says, frowning down at the cage in his lap.

"Fitz is upset because he has a rat when he wanted a monkey." Jemma explains. "Even though they don't even have monkeys. He's still upset though." She pats her friend sympathetically on the shoulder.

"My mum thought this was the cutest one." Fitz mumbles. "Cuter than the owls and cats. My mum is cracked." He sighs and leans his head back against the seat, closing his eyes. "Who gets a dumb old rat instead of an owl? Or a monkey."

"You could always name it Monkey." Skye points out helpfully. "Monkey the rat." She laughs, unable to help herself.

Fitz just glares at her but Jemma giggles too, so Skye smiles to herself, pleased.

* * * * * * * * 

The boats are full of nervous and excited chatter. All the first year students are huddled together, rehashing rumors or stories they've heard from their parents and older siblings. Skye sits in between Jemma and Fitz, wondering if she looks as out of place and nervous as she feels. Everyone seems to know so much about magic and Hogwarts and this whole new world that she never would have imagined being a possibility a few weeks ago.

Coulson told her that she belongs here, that this is where she should be. Skye wonders if she'll always feel out of place, no matter where she goes.

When the castle comes into view, however, everyone falls silent. Skye draws in a sharp breath, studying the place that is going to be her new home for the next year. And hopefully the six years after that. Her chest tightens and she feels embarrassed by the way that tears prick the corners of her eyes.

Coulson was right. It does look like home.

* * * * * * * * 

"It does what?" Skye questions, quickening her pace so that she can keep up with Jemma and Fitz as they head through the Great Hall with the other first year students.

"It tells you which house you belong it." Jemma explains patiently. "There are four. And the Sorting Hat can decide which one you should be in based on what it can tell about you."

Skye looks at her quizzically. "A talking hat? Really?"

Eventually the Sorting Hat becomes one of the most normal of all the things that she sees.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye shares her room with four other girls, one of whom is Jemma. She's not exactly a stranger to sharing her space. At St. Agnes, there were nearly a dozen girls sharing the bedroom so this is actually a step in the right direction, if you ask her. Plus she gets Jemma as a roommate, which is obviously a perk.

"My gram had be so certain I was going to be in Ravenclaw." Jemma hasn't stopped discussing the details of her Sorting since they've entered the Gryffindor dormitory. "My father was a Gryffindor, though. They're supposed to be exceptionally brave and daring." She pauses, considering. "I'm not sure that I'm brave or daring."

Jemma sits up in her bed, glancing over at Skye. The other girls have managed to fall asleep amidst Jemma's chatter but Skye has always been a light sleeper and she doesn't mind Jemma's gossiping anyway. She has a pretty voice and usually people aren't interested in taking Skye into their confidence anyway.

"Do you think I should talk to the Headmistress?" Jemma frets. "Perhaps the Sorting Hat made a mistake. I probably do belong in Ravenclaw. I'm a know-it-all, all my classmates used to say so. What if I-"

"Jemma." Skye interrupts, rolling over onto her side so she can look at Jemma easier. There's not much space between their two beds so she reaches out to give the other girl a clumsy pat on the shoulder. "It's magic. Don't you think it knows what it's doing?"

Jemma sighs and lays back down, rolling over to face Skye. "I suppose you're right."

* * * * * * * * 

It takes Skye a while to figure out how things work. She's not used to ghosts roaming the hallways and talking paintings and students whipping out their wands to curse one another or make something explode. But she spends most of her time with Jemma and Fitz and neither of them seem to know much more about attending a magical school than she does, so she feels better about things.

Skye can't help but be amazed in herself. Every time she gestures with her wand, whenever she mutters the correct words in the correct order, she can actually make magic happen. This hasn't been some sort of horrible mistake. She actually belongs here.

She feels a twinge of pride when she excels in her charms class and doesn't manage to blow up her cauldron during potions the way that Fitz does. Even though she's relieved that it wasn't her, Skye still glares at the kids in the back of the room who laugh at Fitz and they quickly shut up.

Coulson teaches a class called History of Magic and even though Skye finds herself struggling a lot more than the other students, he always gives her an encouraging smile and lets her take her time answering his questions, unlike some of the other teachers that Skye has had throughout her educational career. Teachers who just assumed she was stupid because she's moved around to so many schools; teachers who just assumed she was a bad seed because she was a foster kid.

In the Gryffindor Common Room, Skye sits with Jemma and Fitz near the hearth, their books and parchment and quills spread out around them. Sometimes, Skye still really wants to use a pen and paper like she did before but she's getting used to it.

But that doesn't mean that it's easy for her to get used to all this magical history mumbo-jumbo. She rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands, sighing. "Gargoyle Strike of 1911." She mumbles. "Was that the one with the…" She just gives up, shaking her head.

Jemma gives her a sympathetic smile. "Didn't your parents talk to you about these things, Skye?"

Skye taps her quill against her paper, which is blank aside from the ink spots. "I…" She doesn't look at Jemma or Fitz. "I don't know who my parents are."

Jemma and Fitz both glance in her direction, both clearly unsure of what to say. Fitz clears his throat. "My da is a Muggle." He points out helpfully. "How 'come you don't know your parents?"

"Fitz," Jemma chides, rolling her eyes, "I hardly think you have the time to be talking with all that unfinished potions homework."

Fitz grumbles but gets to work anyway. Jemma helps Skye with her history homework and she almost makes it easy to remember all these stupid facts and dates and crazy names.

Later that night, when the rest of the dorm has gone to sleep, Jemma tentatively asks Skye about her parents and America and how she found out that she was a witch. Skye is surprised to find that she doesn't mind answering Jemma's questions, even though she's used to keeping all the information about herself secretive and private. But whispering with Jemma while the rest of the castle sleeps on around them somehow makes everything different. Or maybe it's that Jemma doesn't seem to mind that she doesn't know where she comes from or that it's likely that her parents were normal, ordinary people who ditched her at a hospital when she was three days old. Jemma doesn't seem to mind at all, so Skye finds it easier not to either.

Skye learns that the wizarding world has it's very own ways of bullying the kids that they can automatically sense are different. She finds that she likes the phrase "mud-blood" a lot less than she likes insults like "orphan" and "stray."

Skye also learns why the Sorting Hat put Jemma in Gryffindor after she curses the two boys insulting Skye. Jemma ends up in dentition for a week for improper use of magic but the boys are the ones stuck quacking like ducks for the next two days.

"I'm sorry you got in trouble." Skye says that night, when Jemma returns to the Gryffindor Common Room after serving her first detention. "It was my fault."

Jemma just smiles at her and shakes her head. "What are friends for?" And that's the end of it.

Skye turns that word over and over in her mind as she tries to fall asleep, smiling to herself. Friend. She likes the sound of that.

* * * * * * * * 

Most everyone goes home for the Christmas holidays, aside from a handful of students and half of the staff. Skye misses Fitz and Jemma but it's not so bad being left behind, not this time. Not when there's a huge fest in the Great Hall and the ceiling looks like a snowy evening. Those who have stayed at Hogwarts barely take up half of one of the massive tables, sitting side by side and laughing and joking as they pass around the food and sing Christmas carols and other traditional holiday songs.

Underneath the massive tree in the Great Hall are three presents with her name on it and Skye is surprised to see it waiting there amongst the other brightly wrapped gifts. Gifts weren't very common at St. Agnes and she had yet to spend the holidays with a foster family; most of them figured out they didn't want her before any awkward faux-family-togetherness moments could happen.

One is a handmade card from Fitz, featuring a mediocre drawing of Monkey the Rat with a Santa hat on and a Christmas tree behind him. Happy Christmas Skye, is written over his head and underneath his little rat feet are the words From your friend Fitz. There's a small, nearly wrapped package from Jemma with another handmade card (this one sans rats in Santa hats) and in the package are Chocolate Frogs and Droobles gum and Ice Mice and Licorice Wands.

The last present is from Coulson and Skye feels bashful as she unwraps it; she didn't get him anything. She didn't even think to get him anything. It's a scarf knitted in Gryffindor red and gold and Skye holds it carefully in her hands, admiring the colors and how soft it feels against her skin.

"Thank you." She says stiffly, mostly so Coulson doesn't hear the way her voice waivers. Coulson smiles at her and nods and she thinks that he understands.

Skye falls asleep that night with her head resting on the scarf and the cards from Fitz and Jemma staring at her from the bedside table. Definitely the best Christmas ever.

* * * * * * * * 

When the second half of the year starts, all the first year students get marched out onto the field and Skye just gapes at the woman who informs them that they're about to start flying lessons. On broomsticks. Flying on broomsticks.

Despite everything that she's seen thus far and the things that she's done, Skye just can't wrap her head around this.

But, true to her word, they're flying. On broomsticks. It takes Skye a few lessons to relax her grip enough to sit up straight and actually take in the sights. They aren't too high off the ground, not yet but it's high enough for her to get a thrill of excitement. She's flying.

If only stupid Johnny Storm could see her now.

For all his short-comings in potions class, Fitz proves to be a natural on the broom stick and their instructor suggests that he try out for the Quidditch team for their second year. Jemma spends most of her time hovering only a few inches off the ground, apparently having discovered a fear of heights that she wasn't even aware that she'd had prior to the moment when she had to fly around on a broomstick. Not that Skye can really blame her. The broomstick hardly feels stable enough to support you as you go zooming around.

Skye does, however, get a chance to try out Jemma's quacking curse on a few of the kids who decide that it's a good idea to tease Jemma about her fear of heights. It's safe to say that no one makes that mistake again.

* * * * * * * * 

Suddenly, the semester is at it's end and Skye feels a heaviness settling in her chest, a sadness pressing against her heart all the time. It feels like a lifetime since she's been at Hogwarts; everything about this place feels like home to her now. She feels like she belongs, like she's a part of something. Like she's found her family.

And now she's going to have to go back to St. Agnes? Even if it's just for a few months? The idea makes Skye want to cry until she's exhausted her supply of tears.

But she doesn't. But Skye learned long ago that crying never fixes anything. Instead she just packs up her trunk, ignoring everyone else as they chatter excitedly about summer plans and make promises to see one another.

"I'm going to miss you." Jemma says dolefully as she sits down on the edge of the bed beside Skye's trunk. "You won't forget about me, will you?"

Skye's mouth drops open as she looks at Jemma, floored by her words. "Forget you?" She questions. "Jemma…you're my best friend. How could I forget you?"

Jemma lets out a nervous laugh, ducking her head and shrugging. "I'm just being silly." She mutters. "I just…I've never really had friends before. Before you and Fitz, I mean."

"Me neither." Skye says softly and Jemma looks up at her, seemingly relieved by the confession. "I won't forget you."

At King's Cross, Fitz and Jemma both hug her goodbye, though Jemma's hug lasts for a moment longer. "You have my address." She reminds Skye. "So you can always send an owl if you like."

Skye smirks. "I don't have an owl, remember?"

"Oh, bother." Jemma wrinkles her nose. "Well I suppose Muggle mail will have to do."

Skye waves to Jemma as she disappears into the crowd with her parents and that squeezing in her chest is back, that heavy sadness that she hasn't been able to shake. She turns around and joins Coulson, waiting near a line of taxis with her trunk at his feet.

"Do I have to go back?" Skye questions, looking at Coulson hopefully.

Coulson sighs. "For now." He looks genuinely disappointed to have to deliver this news.

When he delivers her back at St. Agnes, Coulson hugs her goodbye and promises to stay in touch throughout the summer. "I'll be back to get you before the end of the summer." He assures her when Skye finally moves out of the embrace.

"Promise?" Skye looks at him closely, gauging his sincerity. "You won't forget?"

Coulson smiles at her. "I promise."

* * * * * * * * 

The summer sucks. Probably worse than any other summer Skye has ever experienced at St. Agnes. She can't talk about Hogwarts or her abilities (not around all these Muggles) so most of the kids just think she's been through yet another failed placement and all the old teasing and tormenting sticks. "The girl no one wants." Mary Catherine is fond of calling her, laughing as Skye walks past her.

Like she's not in the system too. Like she's not just another girl that no one wants. Skye just ignores her and thinks about Hogwarts and her classes and Jemma and Fitz and Coulson. Even though it's hotter than hell in Austin, she wraps her scarf around her neck sometimes and reads through her old textbooks and homework assignments. I'm not the girl no one wants, Skye reminds herself, I'm just on vacation.

Not that St. Agnes feels like much of a vacation.

* * * * * * * * 

When she turns twelve, all the girls at St. Agnes are forced to sing her "Happy Birthday" and they muddle their way through it with less enthusiasm than Skye thinks she's entitled to considering that she's the reason they're going to have cupcakes for dessert. Sister Abigail brings her the card that all the girls and sisters signed for her and with it, she brings Skye two more envelopes. Skye makes a big show of opening them so that Mary Catherine can see that there are people in the outside world who want her after all, so there.

Skye props the cards from Coulson and Jemma up against her pillow because there really isn't another space to display them and smiles to herself. On the front of Jemma's card is a drawing of an owl wearing a birthday hat ("so now you have an owl after all!" Jemma had written inside) and Coulson's features a cat photoshopped into a princess dress. Not exactly age appropriate but she hardly cares.

"Who sent you those cards?" Skye turns around to see Mary Catherine standing behind her, arms crossed over her chest, flanked by some of her sour-faced friends. "Your Mommy and Daddy?" She teases, laughing. Her friends laugh as well.

Skye rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "No. Leave me alone." She tells the older girl dismissively.

"Who are they from?" Mary Catherine persists and the other girls start repeating the question, needling Skye. "Come on, Skye, tell us." She pauses, laughing. "Or did you send them to yourself?"

The other girls start laughing and Skye just ignores them, studying the cards instead. Mary Catherine reaches over her shoulder and snatches the card from Jemma, pulling it out of Skye's reach before she can retaliate.

"Dear Skye," Mary Catherine starts to read, "summer has been such a bore without you." She stops, staring at Skye. "Who is this person? She sounds like such a loser."

Skye grabs for the card. "Give it to me!"

Mary Catherine dangles it out of her reach, laughing. "You don't need cards from losers, Skye. Let me help you." She rips the card in half, throwing the pieces at Skye. "There. All better."

Skye looks at the pieces of the card laying on the ground, the cheerful owl now separated from his pile of presents. She looks back at Mary Catherine, her hands curling into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Mary Catherine laughs. "Are you going to cry?" She teases, glancing back at her friends. "I think she's going to cry."

And suddenly Mary Catherine flies backward, sailing into the closet and hitting the wall with a solid thud. The door slams shut after her and no matter how much Mary Catherine shakes the knob or pounds on the door, she can't get it to open again.

Her friends gather around, trying to open the door from the other side but it's no good. The door is stuck tight. Isabella runs off to get one of the sisters and Dorothy whirls around to look at Skye. "What did you do?"

Skye just rolls her eyes. "I didn't do anything." She picks up the pieces of the card. "I was standing right here. Did you see me doing anything?"

* * * * * * * * 

Coulson arrives to pick her up two weeks early. He loads her trunk into the backseat and waits until they're on the road before turning to look at Skye. "Using your magic outside of Hogwarts is forbidden." He says. "You know that, Skye."

Skye just looks back at him. "Please don't make me go back there."


	2. Part Two

As soon as Skye sees Jemma outside Flourish and Blotts, she grins widely and allows herself to be pulled into a hug. "Hello Skye." Jemma says cheerfully, squeezing Skye tightly. "I missed you. How was your summer? Did you do anything exciting? It's wonderful to see you."

Skye laughs as she untangles herself from Jemma, smoothing down her still-too-big robes. "Hi." She smiles at the other girl. "Happy Birthday, Jemma."

Jemma beams, doing an excited little dance in place before she remembers to compose herself. "Thank you, Skye. You remembered. My mum already got me a new quill and ink set and my dad said we could go to Florean Fortescue's for ice cream. You have to come with us. Did you get my birthday card?"

"Yeah, thanks for sending it." She thinks about the card, now taped back together and safely stowed away in the bottom of her trunk.

Jemma pulls her into the bookstore, still chattering excitedly about her summer and the reading list for their new classes and Skye smiles, nodding but not trying to contribute anything to the conversation. It's better just to let Jemma talk herself out, she's learned. She's relieved and feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She'd been worrying over the past few days that things would be strained and awkward, different because of the time they'd spent apart. But it's like nothing has changed between them. Like not a day has gone by since she last saw Jemma.

It's a relief and Skye feels better than she has since they left Hogwarts months ago. She never thought that she'd be excited to go back to school but she never thought she'd be going to a wizarding school either so there's that. She figures that makes a pretty big difference.

* * * * * * * * 

Once again, Skye is rooming with Jemma and several other girls, only one of whom they lived with the year before. Their beds are side by side once more with only the shared nightstand in between them. Skye elects not to put out her birthday cards, mostly because she doesn't want to have to explain to Jemma why she had to tape the one that she sent her back together again.

The classes are even more intensive than the ones from the year before, only Skye feels better prepared now because she knows what to expect. At least Coulson is still helping her muddle her way through History of Magic and thankfully she has potions with Fitz and Herbology and Transfiguration with Jemma and Fitz.

Though, Skye is pretty sure that Defense Against the Dark Arts is her favorite class now. Mostly because they're learning all kinds of cool spells and stories about goblins and dragons and how to defend themselves against dark wizards and other enemies. She wonders if she can use any of the spells they're learning on Mary Catherine and the rest of her cronies back at St. Agnes.

Not that she would, of course. Skye knows that she should use magic responsibility. But still, it's nice to entertain.

Fitz tries out for the Quidditch team and becomes one of three Chasers, something that he doesn't stop talking about for the next three days. He also makes Skye and Jemma promise several times to attend all of the games so they can see him play, as though they would be interested in missing the matches. Skye has found that there's hardly anything more exciting than a Quidditch match. She feels like the Muggle world is really missing out on having a sport like this one.

It's unseasonably chilly the afternoon of the first Quidditch game and Skye wraps her scarf snuggly around her neck in an effort to protect herself from the chill. She and Jemma are some of the first people to arrive thanks to Jemma's insistence that they get there early to get the best seats in the house. It doesn't take long for the stands to fill up, students from all houses cramming in around them.

Even so, Skye can still feel Jemma shivering beside her, her teeth chattering every time a gust of wind blows across the field. "Here." Skye says, unwrapping her scarf and holding it out to her. "Put this on, it'll warm you up."

"But then you'll be cold." Jemma protests, shaking her head even as she eyes the scarf longingly.

Skye just shrugs, pressing the scarf into her hands. "I'm not that cold, really." She assures her. It's a lie, but it's for the right reasons so that makes it okay, right? "You should wear it."

Jemma gives her a grateful smile as she loops the scarf around her neck, seeming much more content to watch the rest of the game.

When Fitz scores his first (and only) goal of the game, Jemma lets out a cheer and throws her arms around Skye, pulling her into a hug. "Well done Fitz." Jemma grins as she pulls away from Skye to watch the rest of the game. "That was brilliant."

Skye knows that Jemma is talking about the goal but she thinks that it would be nice if she was talking about the hug. Because it was pretty brilliant too, she thinks.

* * * * * * * * 

It snows in the last week before Christmas break and Skye can't help but be enthralled. They definitely don't get snow in any form in Austin and it didn't snow last year either, so she feels a little bit like a kid when she wakes up one morning and finds the window frosted over and the grounds covered with several inches of snow.

On the way to the Great Hall for breakfast, Skye can't resist the urge to head out into the yard, tromping through the snow with several of the fifth and six years. She gathers up a handful of snow, rolling it around in her bare hands.

"Skye," Fitz whines from the breezeway where she left him and Jemma, "I'm bloody starving. Come on."

Skye throws her snowball at him, catching him right in the chest. Fitz narrows his eyes at her and then charges in her direction, gathering up his own ammunition as he goes. Skye laughs and goes running across the quad, trying to avoid being hit by Fitz's snowballs as she tries to make some of her own.

"Jemma!" Skye gestures for the other girl, still watching from the breezeway with an expression of amusement on her face. "Come on!"

Jemma shakes her head, smiling. "Oh, I don't think-" Two carefully aimed snowballs quickly change her mind and she drops her school books, eager for retaliation.

They miss breakfast but it doesn't seem to matter.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye spends Christmas at Hogwarts once more, spending the majority of her break hanging around in Coulson's office and pestering him while he tries to prepare for the upcoming semester.

"What was it like?" Skye questions, sitting down in the chair across from his desk. She's been busying herself flipping through one of his history books but, let's be honest, that's actually pretty boring and she'd rather bother him instead. "When you went to Hogwarts?"

Coulson sighs and leans back in his chair, which creaks and groans at the sudden movement. "It was…a very different place." He tells her. "When I graduated, there was the threat of war and Hogwarts wasn't the place that it is now." He pauses and then smiles at her, though Skye can tell the gesture is forced. "You'll learn all about it if you pay attention in class." He assures her.

Skye rolls her eyes and gets up, leaving the office and settling for roaming the halls instead. She misses Fitz but mostly she just misses Jemma. She's glad that her friend is having a nice Christmas break with her family but she would really like for her to come back now.

* * * * * * * * 

The Christmas gift and card make up for her absence a little, though Skye would rather have Jemma honestly. Next year, she vows, she'll be able to hand out Christmas presents of her own.

* * * * * * * * 

"It's not fair." Jemma whines, looking at the paper in her hands. "How are you supposed to choose only two?"

Skye smiles at her friend, shaking her head. "I'm sure that no one else is having as much difficulty as you are deciding on school subjects."

Jemma glares at her. "Well, excuse me for being interested in my school work." She huffs. "I don't think it's a crime to want to learn different things." She glances over at Fitz. "What are you going to sign up for, Fitz?"

"Oh, I…" Fitz shrugs, studying his schedule closely. "I was thinking Care of Magical Creatures. Definitely that one."

Skye nods in agreement. "I want to do that one too." She tells him. "Maybe we can get our own pet dragons."

"I don't think it works that way, Skye." Jemma remarks. "What about Divination? Or Arithmancy? Or Muggle Studies?"

Skye smirks, arching an eyebrow. "You really need to take a class on Muggles when you've got one right in front of you?"

Jemma wrinkles her nose. "Fair point."

In the end, they come to a compromise. Jemma agrees to sign up for Care of Magical Creatures with them if they agree to take Divination with her. Skye is pretty sure that she wins on all counts because she gets to take a whole class about weird animals and have multiple classes with Jemma. Which makes everything about school better, in her opinion.

* * * * * * * * 

"You have to promise that you'll come visit." Jemma says for the hundredth time as the Hogwarts Express pulls up in Kings Cross Station. "Please. Summer was horrible without you."

Skye nods, following her friends out of the car and into the hallway. "Yeah, summer definitely sucked." She shrugs, giving Jemma an apologetic smile. "I'll try. I just…you know…I'll try."

While Jemma doesn't seem entirely satisfied with this, she just nods and doesn't press the issue, no doubt remembering that Skye's situation might not exactly be conducive for traveling abroad at the drop of a hat.

"I'll miss you." Jemma says as she hugs Skye goodbye. "Don't forget to write."

Skye smiles at her. "I won't. I promise."

"It's just a few months." Fitz chimes in, rolling his eyes at them. "Girls."

Jemma and Skye just ignore him. But he's used to that by now.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye sulks in the front seat of Coulson's car, her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't understand why I have to keep coming back here." She mutters. "Can't I just stay in Hogwarts?"

At least Coulson looks sorry as he shakes his head. "It's just for the summer." He reminds her.

"But I have a home now!" Skye protests. And it most definitely is not St. Agnes. "Can't I stay with you?"

Coulson looks surprised by the suggestion but he recovers himself, shaking his head once more. "I'm sorry Skye." He says as they pull up in front of St. Agnes. "It's just a little while. And try not to get into trouble this time, okay?"

Skye glares at him, huffing.

She knows it's only for a little while but a few months is a lifetime here. Skye knows this better than anyone else ever could.

At least Mary Catherine is gone, aged out of the system and off somewhere on her own now. Skye doesn't miss her. It makes it a lot easier just coast under the radar and wallow in the heat of the summer and her own boredom and impatience.

Unlike the last summer, however, she and Jemma spend the months writing letters back and forth. The first few letters she gets from Jemma ramble on and on for paragraphs about the wonders of the Muggle mail system and how she's never actually gotten any mail before that didn't come by way of an owl. But eventually the postal service loses it's appeal because of the sheer number of letters they send to each other.

For Skye's thirteenth birthday, Sister Mary Eunice gives her a book of stamps and a stationary set, slipping it to her on the sly because they aren't supposed to single any of the girls out and show favoritism. Skye hides it in her trunk with the letters from Jemma and Fitz and Coulson, amazed that she's starting to fill the trunk. She's never had many things to call her own but two years at Hogwarts, two years with friends and people who care about her, are starting to change all of that.

* * * * * * * * 

This time, when Skye spots Jemma in Diagon Alley, she's the one who hugs her. It's something she still isn't used to, being the one that initiates contact and even the most minute forms of affection. The first eleven years of her life were spent learning how much it sucked to be turned away, to have your hugs and touches ignored or pushed aside. But Skye is pretty sure that Jemma isn't going to miss out on the opportunity for a hug.

And she's definitely right about that, if her surely bruised ribs are any indication.

"Happy birthday." Skye smiles, smiling at the other girl. She hands over a card and a chocolate bar, purchased with Coulson's help on the way to the airport. "It's Muggle candy. You know, since you couldn't take Muggle Studies I thought I'd help you out."

Jemma looks down at the Hersey bar, her eyes wide with amazement. "Thank you Skye." She breathes, as though she can't possibly imagine a better gift. She studies the bar for a second before looking back up at Skye. "It doesn't move or anything?"

Skye laughs, shaking her head. "See, that's the thing about Muggles," she remarks, "we don't really like it when our food moves around."

"Interesting." Jemma mutters as she follows Skye into Flourish and Blotts. She's still studying the chocolate bar like she expects it to actually do something more than just sit there.

Later, she shares the candy bar with Fitz and Skye and Skye tries (mostly unsuccessfully) to hide her laughter as Jemma and Fitz engage in a very serious conversation about Muggle candy. If it's going to be this entertaining every time she gives Jemma something so simple, Skye decides that she's going to have to give her gifts more often.

* * * * * * * * 

Fitz eyes the book on the table warily, clutching the strap in his hands. He looks at Jemma and Skye out of the corner of his eye, not daring to look away from the book for more than a few seconds. "How did you do it again?"

"You just have to talk to it." Skye tells him, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the expression on Fitz's face. "You know. Say something nice."

"Something nice." Fitz repeats. "To a book."

The book in question lets out a growl, shuffling about on the table. Fitz takes a step back, shifting nervously.

"And pet the spine." Jemma chimes in, glancing over at Skye. She's wearing an equally amused look on her face, trying to hide her smile.

Fitz glares at them. "Pet the spine." He says. "Are you bloody serious."

"Well, who's the one afraid of the book on the table and who are the ones with their books all tied up and ready for class?" Skye questions, holding up her own fuzzy, fanged book as proof.

Fitz sighs and takes a step toward the book, shaking his head. "Who's a…good book? You…you're a good book…"

Jemma leans against Skye, dissolving into laughter. Her head leans back against Skye's collarbone, her body vibrating as she giggles. Skye grins, pressing her body against Jemma's in an effort to keep them both from tumbling to the floor.

Fitz finally manages to wrangle the strap around his book, keeping the mouth shut securely. He tries to pry the piece of his robe out of the book's mouth but he just gives up, shaking his head. He glares at Skye and Jemma, who have dropped to the couch and are too busy laughing to be at all sympathetic to his plight.

"I hate the both of ye." He tells him frankly. "And this is the last time I ever let you talk me into something. Care of Magical Creatures. Honestly."

That only makes Jemma and Skye laugh harder and they don't even notice when Fitz grabs his book and storms out of the common room, heading toward his dorm. Jemma sighs and closes her eyes, leaning against Skye. Skye suddenly feels tired, worn out from laughing, her eyes still wet with tears. She rests her cheek against the crown of Jemma's head and thinks this is already shaping up to be a great year and it's only just begun.

* * * * * * * * 

"It's not fair." Skye grumbles, glaring at the fire burning in the hearth. Her good mood from only two weeks ago has evaporated, replaced by the sting of disappointment. "So not fair."

Jemma gives her a sympathetic smile, resting her hand on Skye's knee. "I'm sorry Skye." She says softly.

Skye just frowns and just barely manages to resist the urge to throw her permission slip into the flames. What does she need it for anyway? It's not like she has a parent or guardian to sign it for her. Everyone else in her class will be heading to Hogsmeade every weekend for an escape from school and work and teachers and she'll be stuck here in the empty common room imagining all the fun they'll be having without her.

"Well, we don't have to go either." Jemma suddenly perks up, smiling at her own idea.

"That's right." Fitz agrees without any form of prodding from the girl sitting on the couch beside him. "We'll just hang out here and keep each other company."

Skye sighs and glances over at her friends, smiling hopefully at her. "Thanks guys." She mutters. "But you don't have to do that. You should be able to go and have fun and not be stuck here with me. Because my parents suck."

And then, just because she can, Skye balls up the permission slip and tosses it into the fire anyway.

"We don't mind you know." Jemma says later that night as she runs a brush through her hair before climbing into bed. "It's not that exciting anyway. Just shops and things." She sets the brush aside. "It's not like we'll be missing anything."

Skye knows that Jemma is just trying to make her feel better but she pulls the covers over her head and decides not to say anything. She loves Jemma, she really does. And she's speechless at the thought of having two friends who would sacrifice their weekends away in order to sit around with her. But they're missing the point and it's not like she can blame them; they would never understand. It's not missing out on going to Hogsmeade. It's just one more thing that makes her different, one more way that her parents have failed her. One more thing that makes it impossible to forget where she comes from.

* * * * * * * * 

"Sometimes I really wish I had listened to you." Skye grumbles as she lets Jemma bandage her hand. "I'm sure they aren't being burned by tiny little monsters in Arithmancy."

Jemma hums, a smug look on her face. But she doesn't say anything. She just pats Skye's newly bandaged hand.

Skye is starting to regret signing up for Care of Magical Creatures. If she can't even manage to make it through class without getting burned and attacked by her Blast-Ended Skrewt then how is she supposed to handle it when she has a pet dragon.

Not that, you know, she's actually ever going to be getting a pet dragon. But a girl can dream, right?

This has just not been her week. And it's only Monday. Last weekend was the first weekend that the third years and older were able to venture outside the walls of Hogwarts for the first time and enjoy the wonders of Hogsmeade. Despite Skye's protesting and pouting, Jemma and Fitz weren't among them, deciding instead that they'd rather hang around and keep Skye company. For the past two days, she's had to endure stories about Hogsmeade and listen with envy as her classmates make plans for what they're going to do the following weekend. And now she's got burns on her hands because she's supposed to be rearing some freakish looking hybrid creature if she wants to pass Care of Magical Creatures with a good mark. Skye wants to get back into bed and just sleep the rest of the week away.

But she manages to make it through her classes. Probably because she has most of them with Jemma and being able to partner with her when they read tea leaves in Divination or practice spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts makes her day a little bit better.

Coulson looks at her curiously when she walks into his class that afternoon, morose because it's the only class where she doesn't have Fitz or Jemma with her. He arches an eyebrow at the sight of the bandage on her hand. "Blast-Ended Skrewt?" He guesses.

Skye sighs and drops into her desk. "You know, you made it sound like Hogwarts was always going to be so fun and such an adventure." She complains. "I'm not having fun."

Coulson just laughs, shaking his head. "But you can do magic. Real magic. With a wand and everything. Isn't that fun?"

Skye just glares at him.

"You should have gone to Hogsmeade with the other students this weekend." Coulson points out. "It's a good way to unwind and take a break."

If looks could kill, Skye is pretty sure that she would have just murdered their History of Magic teacher. Thankfully Coulson's words seem to click in his brain before Skye has to say anything and he looks sheepish, stammering out a sort of apology before quickly bringing to class to a start.

The following day, when Skye shuffles into Coulson's class once more, there's a sheet of paper sitting on her desk. She eyes it suspiciously before picking it up to study it. It's a permission slip for her to go to Hogsmeade that weekend and all following weekends with the rest of the study body. Signed by Coulson.

Skye looks up at him, surprised. "Headmistress McGonagall thought we could make an exception." Coulson tells her, smiling. "Given your extenuating circumstances."

When Skye breaks the news to Fitz and Jemma at dinner, they both look relieved. Skye thinks that it counts for a lot that they were willing to stick it out with her, even though they both clearly wanted to go to Hogsmeade after all.

And Hogsmeade definitely doesn't disappoint. It's like Diagon Alley but without all the noise and flashing colors and crowds cramming together in an effort to see everything. There are times when, despite the past three years of her life, Skye finds herself completely miffed by some of the things that she encounters. Clothing stores just for wizards, complete with clothes that apparently inform the wearer when they need to be washed; a hairdresser where the combs and brushes and scissors move on their own; a joke shop packed to the brim with all sorts of pranks and charmed devices. Skye can't believe that such a place exists in the same world as St. Agnes and all the foster homes that kicked her out after a few months.

They sit in The Three Broomsticks with what seems like the rest of the third years, squeezed together in a small table in the back of the pub. Skye feels like if she were to move even an inch she'd be right on top of Jemma but it's not like they have anywhere else to sit.

Skye takes a sip of her Butterbeer and makes a face, licking her lips. "Is it always so sweet?" She questions, looking at Fitz and Jemma. "It's like drinking straight diabetes."

They look at her blankly. Skye just shrugs and takes another sip of her drink. Still as sweet the second time around. But still, Skye wouldn't trade it for anything. Because she's here, outside of Hogwarts, spending time with her friends. What more could she possibly ask for?

* * * * * * * * 

It snows again. They aren't late for breakfast every day but Fitz gets used to not eating until lunch.

* * * * * * * * 

"Don't you have a family? Why are you always here during Christmas?" Skye questions on Christmas Eve, her tone curious and blunt in the way that only a child's can be. She's sitting by the fire in Coulson's office with her knees drawn up to her chest and a blanket over her shoulders, her scarf tied snuggly around her neck. They're roasting marshmallows on sticks even though there's plenty of magic spells that could achieve the same effect but it's not the same (Coulson's words) and he assures her that they'll taste better this well.

Skye doesn't look over at Coulson as she asks this question. She's too busy watching her marshmallow closely, ensuring that it doesn't burn. She thinks it would be fun to do with this with Fitz and Jemma when they get back from their holiday and she wonders how hard it would be to steal the supplies for s'mores from the kitchens.

The house elves can get a little defensive, though. She might need to work on her plan.

Coulson sighs and doesn't answer right away, leaning back in his chair. "No." He says finally. There's a heaviness to that single syllable, something that Skye understands very well.

She shouldn't have bothered to ask the question at all; she already knew the answer anyway. No one would be alone on Christmas if they had any other choice.

* * * * * * * * 

"I think it means that you're going to…" Skye tilts her head, leaning in closer toward the cup on the table until her nose is practically inside it. "Get lost in a forest?" She blinks, looking up at Jemma. "That kinda looks like a tree, right?"

Jemma giggles, hiding her mouth behind her hand when their professor glances over in their direction. "Oh, I don't know Skye." She whispers, shaking her head. "It looks ridiculous to me."

"You're the one who wanted to take this class, remember?" Skye arches an eyebrow. "Is it just because you knew there'd be a lot of tea drinking?" She pokes Jemma in the side. "Tell the truth."

Jemma laughs again, shifting slightly so that she's just barely out of Skye's reach. "So a tree?" She questions, reaching toward their textbook. "What does that one mean again?"

"Lost in a forest. Told you." Skye waves her hand dismissively. She picks up her own tea cup and quickly drains the contents until only the dregs remain. She makes a face, grimacing as she swallows. The bitter taste of the tea (not the mention the sheer amount of tea that is consumed) is something that she has yet to get used to. "Okay. Now do mine." She hands the cup over to Jemma.

Jemma sighs good-naturedly and takes the cup from her, studying the pattern of tea leaves in the bottom. "It's a…circle?" She looks up at Skye. "I guess?"

"That's the sun." The professor says, suddenly having appeared behind them to study their progress. She reaches to take the cup away from Jemma, making a thoughtful noise as she studies it closely. "Yes, definitely the sun." She smiles at Skye, handing over the cup. "It means there will be great happiness in your future."

Skye looks over at Jemma, who is smiling at her. As usual, Skye can't help but return the smile. It's like something deeply engrained within her now, like that guy who taught his dog to drool every time he rang a bell. Jemma smiles and so does she. It just happens.

"Well, that's good." Skye says with a shrug. "Maybe that means St. Agnes burned down or something."


	3. Part Three

St. Agnes does not burn down. It doesn't close or move locations or decide that there are too many orphans now and that Skye will have to stay in England and live on the streets or in one of Hogwarts' many passage ways. St. Agnes remains the same as always: waiting for Skye to return at the end of term.

So Skye does the only logical thing. "I'm going to run away." She tells Jemma two nights before they're supposed to pack their trunks and board the train to Kings Cross. "Don't tell anyone."

Jemma shakes her head, staring at her from across the small space between their beds. "I won't." She assures Skye. "Where are you going to go?"

Skye just shrugs. She hasn't really figured that part out yet. As long as it's anywhere other than St. Agnes. "I don't know. But I'm not going back." There's such conviction in her voice that doubt doesn't even consider settling in her mind.

"You could just stay in Hogwarts." Jemma points out. "There are so many hidden rooms and secret hallways. I've heard stories about places under the school." She tells Skye. "Then you don't actually have to run away. You just have to hide."

Skye nods, a smile spreading across her face. "That's a way better idea."

"I can stay too." Jemma suggests shyly. "It'll be like an adventure."

So when everyone else starts packing their trunks and saying their goodbyes, Skye and Jemma secret their stuff away into one of the now empty classrooms, creating a sort of fort for themselves out of desks and books and their cloaks and clothes. They hide under their fortress, listening as the halls start to grow quiet and finally the last voices disappear. Skye is pretty sure that she's never heard Hogwarts so quiet before; even during the night, the rooms and halls are filled with soft sounds. But now, there's nothing but the echo of empty hallways and the sounds of Jemma breathing beside her.

They share a package of cookies as Jemma talks about the things that she normally does over the summer and Skye has a hard time figuring out why Jemma would skip weeks at her grandmother's farm to be huddled on the floor of a Muggle Studies classroom. But she's glad that Jemma decided to stay, otherwise she thinks that she would get awfully lonely.

Skye isn't sure how long they make it in their hideout before the door to the room swings open and they both quickly fall silent, huddling together behind the flimsy walls of their fort. One of the cloaks is pulled away and Skye and Jemma look up to find Coulson staring down at them. He does not look amused by their shenanigans.

"The train left three hours ago." Coulson informs them as he watches Skye and Jemma carefully return all the desks and books back to their original locations. "What were you thinking?"

Skye doesn't say anything; her chest is clenching in disappointment and anger and she grits her teeth to keep from saying anything. Jemma looks over at her, uncertain, but when she sees the look on Skye's face she keeps silent too.

They all continue giving each other the silent treatment even as Coulson helps them load their trunks into his car, slamming the doors shut with unnecessary force. Skye sits in the back beside Jemma, ignoring the look that Coulson gives her. The look that suggests that he knows she's the one to blame for all of this and he's going to chew her out. Skye is pretty familiar with that look.

"Your parents are probably worried sick by now." Coulson remarks, looking at Jemma in the rearview mirror. "When they saw you weren't on the train."

Jemma sinks down low in her seat, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She hangs her head, clearly disappointed in herself, which makes further lecture unnecessary. Skye feels a surge of protectiveness mingling with the guilt that is starting to creep over her and she puts her hand on Jemma's knee, relieved when Jemma looks up and gives her a tentative smile.

"I'm sorry." Skye mouths and Jemma just shrugs and shakes her head, smile still in place.

It takes longer to get back to London by car and it's just the three of them and the radio; none of their classmates and high jinks to keep them entertained throughout the journey. Jemma eventually falls asleep, slumping against Skye in the backseat of the car. Skye shifts her position slowly, cautiously, so that she doesn't wake Jemma but makes herself more comfortable to rest against.

It's past midnight by the time they finally pull up in front of Kings Cross and find Jemma's parents waiting outside, right where they assured Coulson they would be. Jemma is still blinking the sleep from her eyes as she climbs out of the car and when she hugs Skye goodbye, it's less like a hug and more like Jemma draping herself against Skye, holding her close as she tries not to fall asleep on her feet.

"It was my fault." Skye says to Coulson once Jemma and her parents are out of sight. She gets into the front seat this time because she's too tired to be angry at Coulson for fouling their plans. "You didn't have to yell at her."

"I wasn't yelling." Coulson points out. "I was just being strict."

Skye wrinkles her nose and can't think of the difference right now. Instead she taps her wand absently against the palm of her hand, enjoying the feel of it in her fingers. It's one of the things that she hates most about going back to St. Agnes: putting her wand and everything else from the term in her trunk and keeping it locked away for the next few months. The wand and the magic inside of it feel like a part of her now and maybe they always have been. She hates having to hide it away, even if it's only temporary.

"So what, exactly, were you thinking?" Coulson questions. "You were just going to live in that room all summer eating cookies and sleeping under desks?"

Skye opens her mouth to reply and then snaps it shut again. Because, yeah that was kind of the whole plan. But when he says it like that, she can definitely see some flaws. She looks at her wand –rosewood with a kneazle fur core- and tightens her fingers around it. It's already worn from use and it feels more natural to hold it now then it is to hold a pen or quill.

"It's better than St. Agnes." Skye points out. "I hate it there."

"I know you do." Coulson tells her and Skye is confused by how gentle and understanding his voice sounds now. One minute he's annoyed, the next he actually sounds like he cares. It's too confusing, how can she keep up?

"And, you know," Coulson continues, "I've been talking with Mother Superior and your case worker, going through the legal process of becoming your guardian. So you didn't have to go back every summer. Which, you would have figured out if you hadn't decided to go into hiding."

Skye looks up at him, surprised. "What?" It seems to be the only thing that she can think of to say right now. Her head is too muddled to process Coulson's words and she wonders if maybe she's dreaming, maybe she fell asleep in the backseat of the car just like Jemma and now she's just dreaming.

Because this is a reoccurring dream of hers. Not necessary this scenario but this moment. When someone finally asks her to stay.

"If you want." Coulson adds, clearing his throat and returning his attention to the road. "I mean, I know we've never talked about it before but I thought…if you wanted to."

Skye smiles, tightening her fingers around her wand. "Yeah."

* * * * * * * * 

It's different, not going back to St. Agnes for the summer. In the best possible way. She gets to see Jemma and Fitz and do things with them in the real world, outside the walls of Hogwarts. Skye quickly decides that her favorite thing in the world is just going out with Jemma, even if it's just to a grocery store or something mundane like that. Because Jemma finds everything strangely mesmerizing, studying everything they encounter closely. Skye is pretty sure that she hears the word "fascinating" pass Jemma's lips two hundred times that summer.

And it's different, actually living with someone for longer than a few weeks. Skye has never spent more than a month with the same family and she spends the first month of summer living in a state of anxiety, counting down the days and worrying that Coulson is going to change his mind and send her back. That he's going to realize that she's not special, after all; that he's going to see the same things in her that all the other families have already seen.

But Coulson doesn't yell at her when she actually levitates all the dishes out of the cabinet and breaks most of the them. He doesn't seem surprised when the glass in the fish tank disappears and floods the living room with water and gravel and fish. He just cautions her against using magic outside of school, reminding her that she'll get better as she continues to get older, that her magic won't be so tied to her emotions. He doesn't lock her in the closet when she forgets to put her dirty clothes in the hamper or threaten to call her social worker when they bicker. He doesn't dangle St. Agnes over her head like the ace in his back pocket, the threat he's willing to make good on at a moment's notice.

Instead, a month comes and goes and Skye stays. And she stops worrying so much.

* * * * * * * * 

She turns fourteen and has her first official "party" though it's not really all that different from St. Agnes. Everyone still sings her Happy Birthday with varying degrees of enthusiasm and there are still cupcakes. But it feels more like a party, Skye thinks, because even though there are less people, she feels pretty confident about the fact that no one is going to tease her behind her back or try and rip up her birthday cards. So she considers it a definite improvement.

Coulson buys her a pair of robes that aren't second hand and that actually fit and a pair of mittens that match her scarf. Jemma and Fitz take her out for ice cream and they go to see a movie, some cheesy romantic comedy that Jemma was interested in and even though Skye could have cared less about some stupid love story, she pulled the it's-my-birthday card and overruled Fitz's protests just because Jemma wanted to see it. And as she watches the two leads kiss each other to the dramatic swelling of music and imminent end credits, Skye finds herself wondering for the first time what it would be like to kiss someone and then she wonders when she started to think and care about stuff like that.

"I thought it was romantic." Jemma says wistfully, interrupting Fitz's rant about how horrible and cheesy the climax of the movie was and how you can see their inevitable reunion coming a mile away. "And sweet."

Skye wonders if Jemma has ever thought about kissing anyone before or if she's the only weirdo who's ever thought about something like that.

* * * * * * * * 

This is the first year without a hug from Jemma to usher in the new school year and the trip to Diagon Alley and even though Skye has seen (and hugged) her several times throughout the summer, she finds that she kind of misses it. But she would much rather see Jemma more frequently than pass the months without her.

She and Jemma and Fitz collect their books and Skye is pretty sure that the reading and supplies list only grow with each passing year. She can barely carry all of the things that she's supposed to somehow find space to pack into her trunk.

"Double Potions." Skye mumbles, studying the list that came by owl to Coulson's flat a week ago. "Double Defense Against the Dark Arts." She arches her eyebrows. "Regular classes weren't enough?"

"It's for the OWLs, next year." Fitz tells her, picking up the dream journals they're supposed to use for Double Divination this term. Skye thinks it's endlessly amusing that Fitz decided to drop Care of Magical Creatures but stick with Divination. Though, she figures it does make sense. Less chance of burns and bites.

"The what?" Skye questions, figuring that she must have misheard him.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level." Jemma says from the other side of the store, where she's loading potions ingredients into her bag. "They're important exams we'll be taking next year."

"So why do we need to worry about them now?"

Jemma lets out an exasperated sigh and just gives Skye a look. Skye just rolls her eyes at Jemma and goes back to studying her reading list. She should have known better than to ask Jemma Simmons about preparation and getting ahead in school work.

* * * * * * * * 

Clearly Jemma wasn't exaggerating when she said that they were going to be prepping for the OWLs. Skye is pretty sure that she's heard that acronym mentioned at least a dozen times during the first week of school and it only gets spoken more frequently from there.

The only thing that Skye thinks is a more popular topic of conversation is the Yule Ball, which isn't until December but you would never know that from the fervor with which it is being discussed among students. Skye vaguely remembers over hearing these snippets of conversation over the past three years but now that they're in their fourth year, they can actually attend the ball and it seems a lot harder to block out.

Between homework and endless conversations about the Yule Ball, Skye feels like she barely has time to focus on anything else. The Quidditch matches are definitely a welcome distraction and it's nice to be around her classmates and overhear conversations that don't have to do with dresses or exams. Skye and Jemma sit squashed together on the crowded bleachers, cheering loudly for Fitz as he zips around the field, seemingly at ease on his broomstick even with all the activity going on in the air around him. Sometimes Skye thinks about trying out for the team even though she's no where near as skilled as Fitz and the rest of the players. It just seems so exciting, like such a rush.

Then again, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Jemma isn't all that bad either.

Not that they need the excuse of the crowded bleachers to do that. Skye wonders if Jemma is even aware that she does it, that she'll gravitate toward Skye when they sit on the couch together in the Gryffindor Common Room, their books on their lips, quills in hand. The couch is large enough to comfortably fit at least four of them but even when it's just the two of them, Jemma will sit down beside her, steadily inching closer as she works.

Skye doesn't mind, not in the least. She minds even less when she thinks that Jemma might be doing it subconsciously.

"That's not right." Jemma says, leaning against Skye to point toward something that she's written on her parchment. "The root is supposed to turn green when you mix it. It's the beetles that turn red."

Skye looks up to Jemma and their faces are so close together that they could easily bump noses if they were to move a centimeter in almost any direction. Skye feels a strange lurch in her chest that seems to travel all the way down to her stomach, knotting her insides together. She leans back, glancing down at her homework. "Oh." She clears her throat. "Duh."

Before Skye can glance over at Jemma again and try and figure out where the strange influx of nerves suddenly came from, Fitz joins them on the couch, slumping over. "Have you guys seen Monkey?"

"Monkey the rat?" Skye questions, peering at him from over Jemma's head.

"Well, now he's actually a monkey." Fitz grumbles, covering his face with his hands. "I am so going to fail Transfiguration."

Jemma looks over at Skye and Skye can tell from the way that she's pursing her lips that she's trying not to laugh. Skye smiles at her and the tightness in her chest is gone like it was never there at all.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye sees Coulson heading across the Great Hall in the direction of their table and she mutters a curse, trying to slink down in her seat and hide between Jemma and Fitz. "What's wrong?" Fitz asks, looking at her curiously.

"I didn't turn in my history homework." Skye mutters, keeping her gaze fixed on the plate in front of her, like if she doesn't see Coulson then he can't see her. "He's going to bust me."

"Skye." Jemma chides, shaking her head. "I could have helped you with your homework, you know."

Skye sighs but she doesn't get a chance to thank Jemma for her too-late-offer because Coulson is suddenly standing behind them. He gives Skye a look but, much to her surprise, turns his attention toward Jemma. "The headmistress wants to see you." He tells her, a tight smile on his face.

Jemma tenses, her expression clouding over with worry. "Oh. The headmistress?" She frets. "What have I done?"

"Nothing." Coulson tells her gently. "The headmistress will explain."

Jemma gets up and follows Coulson out of the Great Hall because apparently Jemma wasn't born with the rebellious gene that would have made Skye stay put and refuse to budge until she got some answers. But Jemma just trails dutifully after Coulson, content to actually listen to authority and Skye and Fitz watch her go.

"That was ominous." Skye remarks, turning to look at Fitz. "Any idea what that was about?"

Fitz just glares at her. "Do I look like the headmistress?" He questions. "I was sitting right beside you, you know. I know as much as you do."

Skye rolls her eyes. Really, the sass wasn't necessary.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye tries not to worry, even when Jemma doesn't show up for Defense Against the Dark Arts or Herbology. She's not at dinner either. And that's when Skye really starts to worry.

"What is going on?" Skye questions, tapping her fingers against the table, glancing around like she expects Jemma to show up at any time. "What do you think could be taking so long?"

Fitz shrugs but he looks a little anxious as well. Though, to be fair, he masks it pretty well by eating like there's nothing bothering him. Skye can't eat, not when the last time she saw Jemma was during an ominous march to the headmistress' office.

Skye leaves the table and heads back to the Gryffindor dorm on the off-chance that Jemma might be there too. The common room is empty but Skye is surprised to find Jemma already laying in bed, on top of the covers with her fist tucked beneath her chin and her eyes fixed straight ahead. Skye can tell right away that she's been crying and she feels a flash of panic. Why didn't she come looking for Jemma earlier? What's wrong? Is she being expelled? Failing a class?

Skye knows, of course, that both of those ideas are completely ridiculous. Jemma wouldn't know how to cause trouble unless it was a class.

"Jemma?" Skye questions, her voice soft and hesitant and she waits in the doorway like it's not her bedroom too. "Are you okay?"

Jemma shifts her eyes in Skye's direction, looking surprised to see her standing there. "Oh, hello Skye." She sniffs, wiping at her cheeks. "I'm fine."

Skye scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest, looking at Jemma doubtfully. For a minute, it looks like Jemma is going to insist again that there's nothing bothering her but then her eyes fill up with tears again and she draws in a deep breath. "It's nothing really." She says, even as her voice trembles, her words thick with the effort of trying not to cry. "It's just my gram. She died this morning."

Jemma starts to cry again and Skye crosses the room, climbing into bed beside Jemma and putting her arms around her friend. "I'm sorry." She says softly, wishing that she could come up with something better to say. She's never had any family to miss; she doesn't know if her grandparents are dead or alive or even if her parents are. She thinks that losing someone you're related to, someone who loves you, is a lot different than being sent away from another foster home.

Jemma doesn't say anything, she just tucks herself against Skye and cries, her body shaking against Skye's. Skye inelegantly pats her shoulder, rubbing her back and trying to think of something that she could say to make Jemma feel better and to make everything okay. But she keeps drawing a blank, so she just keeps her mouth shut before she can say something stupid. She thinks about all the stories that Jemma has told her over the years about her grandmother's farm and all the time that Jemma has spent there. It always sounded perfect to Skye and she feels a strange sense of loss as well, knowing that Jemma won't get to tell her any more stories.

Eventually they both fall asleep despite the early hour and when Skye wakes again, roused by Jemma moving in her arms, she can't remember why she's in Jemma's bed with her friend wrapped around her. But it all comes back to her soon enough and she offers Jemma a tentative smile. "How are you feeling?" Her voice is barely above a whisper because it's easy enough to tell that the hour is late and their roommates are already sleeping around them.

"Hungry." Jemma says and looks almost guilty by this revelation.

Skye sits up, a mischievous smile on her face. "Well, come on then." She slips off Jemma's bed quietly, glancing around to make sure they haven't attracted the attention of their roommates.

Jemma sits up, shaking her head. "We can't, Skye." She protests, still managing to sound panicked and authoritative despite her whispering tone. "We aren't allowed in the kitchens."

Skye just looks at her and smirks. "Exactly. If we were, it wouldn't be much fun then, would it?"

They manage to sneak into the kitchens (despite Jemma's protests) and forgo anything resembling dinner and eat ice cream instead (despite Jemma's –albeit weak- protests) and Jemma finds herself laughing at Skye's ridiculous imitations of their classmates and professors. And this she doesn't protest at all.

* * * * * * * * 

Jemma leaves Hogwarts for three days to be with her family and Skye feels like she's going to go stir crazy. Sure she still has Fitz but it's not nearly the same. Going to Hogsmeade without Jemma just feels weird and she and Fitz sit in the Three Broomsticks and stare gloomily down at their Butterbeer like Jemma is going to be away forever instead of just a few days.

When Jemma finally gets back, they don't talk much about her grandmother or her family, unless Jemma is the one to bring it up. Which she doesn't, not very often. Instead, they focus on their classes and assignments and the upcoming Yule Ball and the fact that, thanks to the stupid dance, they now all have to take dancing lessons.

"You'll be appreciative of these lessons in the future." Professor May informs them as she stalks through the room, watching the fourth year students with a critical eye.

"Yeah right." Skye mutters, looking down at her feet so she can remember what she's supposed to be doing. It feels awkward to be dancing with Fitz and his hands are sweaty in hers. Plus he's stepped on her feet five times already, not that she's counting or anything.

"There might come a day," May says, making Skye jump, "when you find someone you actually enjoy dancing with and find yourself thanking me for putting you through this torture."

Skye grins at the professor. She'd been so sure that May was on the other side of the room two seconds ago; how did she pop up all of the sudden? "Of course, professor."

May arches an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Instead, she just considers her rounds, studying her pupils. "Well done Miss Simmons." She compliments. "Excellent posture."

Skye looks in the direction of May's voice, frowning. Jemma has been partnered with Antoine Triplett and he looks pretty confident in his posture and steps. And in the way that he has his hand on Jemma's waist. Jemma is smiling, though Skye doesn't know if it's because of May's compliment or something that Tripp has said. Skye huffs out a breath, wrinkling her nose.

"Ouch!" Skye snaps suddenly, glancing back to look at Fitz. "Really? Again?"

Fitz at least looks appropriately sheepish. "Sorry."

* * * * * * * * 

Really Skye kinda thinks this whole Yule Ball thing is total nonsense and she figures that she would be just as happy sitting in the common room. Happier, actually. But clearly Fitz and Jemma have never given a thought to not going to the ball so Skye figures that she might as well suck it up and go hang out for a few hours.

Her dress is second-hand, like pretty much everything else that she owns but Skye can hardly find it in herself to care. Because she finally has someone in her life to look out for her and make sure that she actually has a dress to wear to a stupid dance.

"Well," Jemma's voice behind her makes Skye turn around, "how do I look?"

Huh. Skye really isn't sure how to answer that question.

How does Jemma look? Like a dream. Or a vision. Like magic.

Skye blinks, surprised. She's never really given much thought to Jemma's appearance before, she figures and why should she? But it's a little hard to ignore now with Jemma standing in front of her, wearing a light blue dress with her hair twisted into a bun on top of her head, her face framed by a few loose tendrils. The dress is simple and the hairstyle equally so but on Jemma the effect is mesmerizing.

"That bad, huh?" Jemma tries to laugh but the sound is forced, just like the smile on her face. She looks down at herself, crossing her arms self-consciously. "Perhaps I should just-"

"No." Skye interrupts quickly, shaking her head. "No, you shouldn't." Jemma looks at her, confused. "I mean, you look really pretty. You do."

Jemma brightens, reaching up to brush one of the locks of hair behind her ear. "Really?"

Skye just nods because duh.

Fitz seconds Skye's sentiment when he meets them in the common room looking appropriately dapper in his suit and tie. None of them had thought to put forth the effort of finding a date for the evening, choosing instead to go as friends and just make a fun evening out of it. Skye is definitely glad that that was the choice they'd made. It's far less stressful walking into the Great Hall with her two best friends.

It seems as though the majority of the guests are partnered off, standing and dancing together. Skye takes an absurd amount of entertainment from watching May sneak up on couples dancing too close and startling them apart.

"It looks beautiful, doesn't it?" Jemma says, lifting her face toward the ceiling, which has been enchanted to look like a cloudless night with millions of stars.

"Yeah." Skye mutters absently, her eyes still on the girl beside her. "Definitely."

God she is such a cliché. When did she become such a cliché? "I'm gonna…go get something to drink." Skye mutters, turning away and hurrying toward the refreshment table.

As she waits, Skye can't help but glance over her shoulder, studying Fitz and Jemma. Some more of Jemma's tresses have fallen loose from their bun, twisting down across the back of her neck and shoulders. Skye turns away quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up. What the hell is happening to her?

By the time Skye makes her way back with three glasses of punch, she finds Fitz standing by himself. She hands him one of the cups, glancing around. "Where's Jemma?"

Fitz points out toward the middle of the Great Hall and Skye is surprised to see Jemma amidst the other couples, once again dancing with Tripp. Tripp says something to her and she smiles, laughing loudly when he spins her around and then dips her backward.

Skye clinches her jaw again, narrowing her eyes. She sets the cups down on the table hard enough to splash out some of their contents and crosses her arms over her chest, glowering toward the dance floor.

"What is your problem?" Fitz questions, looking at the stained tablecloth and then over at Skye. He follows her line of sight and tilts his head, still looking confused. "Wait…you aren't…I didn't even know that you knew Tripp. Are you jealous that Jemma is-"

Skye barks out a laugh, looking at Fitz incredulously. "Jealous?" She scoffs. "You think that I want to dance with him? Don't be silly."

"So then what…" Fitz trails off, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He studies her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding and looking back toward Jemma. "Oh."

But Skye doesn't hear him. "I'm not jealous." She mutters, shaking her head. "Of course not."

Fitz ignores her mutterings, taking a sip of his drink and shaking his head slightly. "Do you want to dance?"

"No." Skye gives him an dubious look. "I've had enough of you stepping on my feet, thank you."

Fitz rolls his eyes. "With Jemma." He clarifies. "Do you want to dance with Jemma?"

Once again, Skye feels her cheeks heat up. And maybe she is jealous, just a little bit. Because she does want to dance with Jemma and Tripp is getting to do it instead and it really doesn't seem fair.

"You should ask her."

"No."

Fitz just shrugs, finishing his drink. "Suit yourself."

The song finishes and Jemma smiles at Tripp, nodding at something he says to her before stepping out of his embrace and heading back to where Skye and Fitz are standing. She looks at both of them, a confused look crossing her face. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." They reply in unison and Jemma really doesn't look like she believes them. But she just shrugs, standing beside Skye and turning her attention back toward the hall full of people.

Skye spends the next few minutes staring down at the stones beneath their feet rather than chance a glance at the people standing beside her. She doesn't want to see any sort of smug and amused look on Fitz's face and god only knows what'll happen if she looks over at Jemma. So she just stands there, glaring downward and ignoring the way that Jemma is shifting and fidgeting next to her, clearly growing bored with this wallflower act.

But even still, Skye can't help but notice when Tripp breaks away from his friends and starts heading in their direction. She stiffens, her stomach twisting itself into knots. She looks over at Jemma. "Do you want to dance?" She blurts out quickly, before she can talk herself out of it.

Jemma blinks at her, surprised. "With me." Skye adds hastily, though she feels like such clarification is completely unnecessary. But, you know, now she can't seem to stop talking to there's that. "If you want. To dance. Together."

Jemma cheeks grow pink and she nods, ducking her head slightly. "All right."

Skye grins, ignoring the smug look on Fitz's face. Instead, she just follows Jemma out to the center of the Great Hall and she suddenly realizes that now her palms are sweaty and maybe this was not such a good idea after all. But then Jemma turns to face her, still smiling nervously and Skye does that annoying Pavlovian response thing and now she's smiling too.

It takes them a minute to get it down, to figure out where to put their hands and where to step. But they manage to fit together eventually, mimicking the posture that May taught them a month before and Skye likes the way that Jemma's hand feels against her own and the heat of her palm resting against her waist.

And Skye can't help but think that maybe this whole Yule Ball thing wasn't really such a bad idea after all. And maybe May was right about being glad for the dancing lessons. Not that she's ever going to admit that.


	4. Part Four

"Now that you don't have to go back to St. Agnes you have to visit." Jemma informs her frankly in a no-nonsense sort of tone. Like there's going to be no room for arguing.

Not that Skye is interested in arguing.

Their goodbyes at Kings Cross are less emotionally fraught now that they know they'll be able to see each other throughout the summer. But Skye still feels a sense of trepidation as she says goodbye to Jemma and Fitz; it's different, after spending so much time with them and being in their company almost constantly. She has no idea when she became the type of person who has grown to hate summer breaks.

She's only been at Coulson's for a week before Jemma's owl arrives, nearly knocking itself silly when it thuds against the closed living room window instead of soaring through the one that Coulson constantly keeps open for owl delivery. Clearly the feathery-fuzz ball doesn't share his master's intellect.

Skye absently strokes the owl's ruffled feathers as she reads over the letter. The first two paragraphs are all the usual: descriptions of the summer so far, laments about how Jemma misses seeing Skye all the time. It makes her feel absurdly happy, reading those comments. Skye isn't used to being wanted or missed, she isn't used to people thinking about her when she isn't around. Plus, she feels validated in knowing that she's not the only one who has been missing her friends.

The rest of the letter explains how they're going to be leaving for her grandmother's farm the following week in order to get everything packed and squared away and how Jemma is dreading the trip and how, "if it's not too much trouble of course", she would like it if Skye came with her.

Skye quickly broaches the subject with Coulson, trying to contain her excitement at the prospect of spending two weeks with Jemma on this farm that she's heard so much about throughout her childhood. Coulson listens patiently to her pitch, an amused smile on his face. Skye feels like she nearly implodes with impatience when he doesn't answer right away, choosing instead to draw the moment out simply for his own amusement. She would probably be more annoyed with him if his answer wasn't a "yes."

The days leading up to her departure are some of the worst that Skye can remember since the moment Coulson arrived at St. Agnes to tell her about Hogwarts. She thinks it's funny how her priorities have changed, how she never would have imagined that the past four years would lead to this moment. Of course she never could have imagined that such a thing as magic really existed and that she would eventually attend a school specifically for wizards and witches but it's more than that, Skye thinks. She never would have imagined that she would have a home and a family, that she would have friends that she loved and trusted and who loved her in return. That the worst thing she could experience was a few days of impatience. Skye wonders where she would be now if she was still stuck at St. Agnes, if Coulson had never shown up that day.

It's probably best not to think about, honestly.

Plus, now Skye doesn't have to waste her time with "what-ifs" like she used to do when she was younger. Now she likes the way things are.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye turns fifteen when she's still at the farm helping Jemma and her family pack everything away. She doesn't bring it up because it hardly seems important, especially given the somber atmosphere of the past week and a half. Even though she knows it's only natural, Skye still hates seeing Jemma upset, hates seeing her brow furrowed and her shoulders slumped. The things that Skye boxes up or throws away don't mean anything to her but Jemma has years of memories attached to the place and the objects inside it. So Skye just keeps the day and its significance to herself, glad that she and Coulson decided to celebrate when she got back instead of him sending something to her today.

Later that evening, they're sitting in the loft of the barn where Jemma's grandmother used to raise thestrals and Jemma sighs and rests her head against Skye's shoulder. "I'm glad that you're here." Jemma says softly and Skye reflexively slips her arm around Jemma's waist. "It's strange being here without her."

Skye just nods because anything else that she could say sounds cliché or stupid to her own mind. "I used to spend hours out here with her." Jemma continues. "She taught me how to ride the thestrals when I was a little girl. Which was extremely terrifying because I couldn't see them." She laughs softly at the memory.

"She sounds really cool." Skye says and then feels like an idiot because what a ridiculous thing to say. This is what happens when she opens her mouth.

Jemma just nods, lifting her head from Skye's shoulder so that she can look at her. There's a faint smile on her face, so Skye figures that her comment wasn't that ridiculous. "She would have liked you."

Skye smiles, feeling her cheeks flush with pleasure. Or maybe it's not the compliment that makes her blush but the fact that her face is so close to Jemma's and Skye's eyes suddenly drop to Jemma's lips and she finds herself wondering what it would be like to kiss her. And Jemma looks like she might be wondering the same thing because her tilts her head gently and parts her lips slightly.

"Oh!" Jemma says suddenly, drawing back and Skye blinks, confused. Maybe she was overestimating what was going through Jemma's mind at that moment. "Your birthday! Skye!" Her brow furrows and she looks at Skye desperately. "I nearly forgot. I'm sorry!"

Skye clears her throat and looks away so that Jemma won't see the sting of disappointment on her face and misinterpret it. "It's not a big deal." She assures Jemma quickly.

Jemma quickly gets to her feet, reaching out and tugging Skye upright instead. "It is." She says firmly. "It is a big deal. Come on."

Skye knows better than to argue when Jemma has that particular tone in her voice.

Jemma drags her into the kitchen and proceeds to dig through the cabinets and refrigerator, piling her findings on the counter with single-minded determination. Skye just watches her, figuring that it would be best to stay out of the way. It's a little bit like watching Jemma work in potions class, except now she's collecting flour and eggs instead of fluxweed and eel eye.

Jemma's father pokes his head into the kitchen, no doubt attracted by all the noise. "What are you doing?" He questions casually, arching an eyebrow.

"Baking a Muggle cake." Jemma informs him frankly without turning around, grabbing a stack of bowls out of one of the cabinets.

Skye grins, glancing over at Richard Simmons and just shrugging. He returns the gesture, shaking his head before leaving the kitchen once more. Jemma turns around to look at Skye, gesturing for her to join her by the counter. "I've never done this before." Jemma informs her. "So you are definitely going to have to help me."

"Wait, hold on." Skye pauses, widening her eyes comically for effect. "Did…did Jemma Simmons just ask for help with something?"

Jemma rolls her eyes and gives her a look. "Oh be quiet you." She shakes her head.

To be fair, Skye has only engaged in any sort of baking a handful of times and always under the supervision of one of the sisters at St. Agnes. And always with a recipe in front of her. But she feels like it can't be all that hard, especially if they've got all the necessary ingredients. They can just eyeball it, right?

The cake is…well most of it ends up in the trash which is probably for the best. But that's really beside the point, Skye thinks. Because she had way more fun actually making the cake with Jemma than eating it and somehow they both ended up with flour on their clothes and Jemma even has a streak of batter on her cheek and so it was definitely worth it. Even if there was no edible outcome.

"I'm sorry Skye." Jemma says, giggling as the cake lands loudly and solidly in the bottom of the trashcan. "What a poor showing."

Skye waves her hand dismissively. "No, it was fine." She pauses, wrinkling her nose. "Well, the cake was not fine. But still. It was fun trying to bake it."

"I hope you have as much fun cleaning it up!" Jemma's mother calls from the living room, a pointed tone to her voice.

Skye and Jemma look at each other and laugh before shuffling over toward the counter to clean up the rather impressive mess that they managed to make.

"Happy birthday, Skye." Jemma says softly later that night as they get into the bed they've been sharing in the guest room. "I didn't mean to forget."

"You didn't." Skye points out, smiling at Jemma through the darkness. "It's still my birthday." For a few more hours anyway.

Jemma reaches out and takes her hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. They fall asleep that way and when they awake in the morning, their hands are still twined together.

* * * * * * * * 

It's their last night before returning to their respective homes for the remainder of the summer and Skye feels the way that she does on the night before they have to leave Hogwarts for the summer. Like she never wants the night to end just so morning won't arrive.

Again they're sitting up in the loft, which has become their sort of secret hideaway during the time they've been here and their shoulders are touching as they sit with their legs dangling over the edge. Before she can talk herself out of it, Skye turns her head quickly, pressing her lips against Jemma's briefly, a clumsy kiss that probably can barely be considered a kiss at all. But still, she's done it. And even though the kiss lasted only seconds, Skye's lips tingle and her throat is dry.

Jemma doesn't say anything but Skye can see the blush in her cheeks and the way she seems to be trying not to smile and that seems good enough.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye ropes Coulson into helping her in the kitchen and it's surprisingly much easier to bake when you've got the directions right in front of you. Plus Coulson shows off, using magic to summon the ingredients and bowls and tins from their various places in the cabinet. Skye feels slightly envious, ready for her seventeenth birthday when she can use magic whenever she wants. Even though it's probably lazy to want to use magic to retrieve something that's five feet away from where she's standing. That's hardly the point though.

When they see each other again in Diagon Alley, Skye presents Jemma with the plate of cupcakes, smiling proudly. "And they actually taste good." She assures the other girl. "Coulson had like five."

"Someone had to test them." Coulson interjects, pausing in his conversation with Jemma's parents. "I was just trying to help."

Skye rolls her eyes, looking back at Jemma. She's pretty proud of how the cupcakes turned out; the chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles across the top are a pretty excellent touch if she does say so herself. Fitz seems to think so too, judging by the way that he takes two cupcakes from the plate, muttering about how no one ever makes him cupcakes for his birthday.

"Thank you, Skye." Jemma says quietly, smiling shyly at Skye as she takes one of the cupcakes.

It reminds Skye of the smile she'd worn after their pseudo-kiss in the loft and Skye wonders if she'll get the chance to try and kiss her again. She hopes so. Because she really, really wants to.

* * * * * * * * 

"That's pretty impressive." Skye remarks, turning the silver badge over in her hands before handing it back to Jemma. "So now you have a medal for being a know-it-all."

Jemma gives her a playful shove, a vaguely offended look on her face. "That was a compliment." Skye assures her with a laugh, rubbing her arm. "Really!"

Jemma huffs out a breath and pins the badge to her robe, right above the Gryffindor emblem. "Being a Prefect is a huge honor." She informs Skye frankly, clearly pleased with the importance. "There are a lot of responsibilities."

"Well, if there's one thing that you're great at, it's responsibilities." Skye assures her. Jemma looks like she can't decide if Skye is still teasing her so the other girl just smiles. "Really. I'm proud of you. And Fitz. My two best friends, making me look bad."

"Oh, don't be silly." Jemma says, shaking her head. "You're wonderful just the way you are."

Skye wrinkles her nose, absurdly pleased with Jemma's words. Wonderful huh? She'll take it.

* * * * * * * * 

Even though the OWL exams aren't until the end of the year, they quickly rise to the forefront of the fifth years' minds. Skye is pretty sure that not a single day goes by without every single one of her teachers stressing on the importance of the exams or reminding the students that they'll be taking them in a few short months.

As if any of them could actually forget.

"I don't even understand the point of them." Skye mutters. "We need to pass the exams so we can keep taking the classes? Isn't that what we do at the end of each term?"

It's only the beginning of December but Jemma already looks stressed over the impending exams. Skye feels like it's not fair; they shouldn't have to even begin thinking about stuff like this until after the Christmas holiday if you ask her. Clearly, Jemma doesn't have the same idea.

"This is different, Skye."

Another thing Skye doesn't really like about these stupid OWL tests is that they have turned Jemma into a mini-professor, complete with a lecturing tone of voice.

"If you don't pass your OWLs, then you'll have to take the class over again and you'll get behind." Jemma continues. "And you need these classes to help figure out what career path you should be on."

Skye just groans and buries her face in her hands, flopping over on the couch. "Career path?" She moans against her palms. "I'm fifteen years old."

Fitz nods without looking up from his potions text book. "Amen sister."

"Well fine." Jemma says with a shrug, flipping her hair over her shoulders. "Don't take it seriously. See if I care when I'm working for the Ministry and you two are…stuck in school. Forever."

Clearly that was the worst fate she could imagine for the two of them. Though, Skye thinks that being stuck at Hogwarts while her friends move on is a pretty unfortunate fate.

Unfortunately, as the months progress, Jemma only grows worse. Skye quickly figures out the true source of her anxiety given the number of times that she repeats the phrase "My mum said" whenever they start talking about the OWLs and the importance of the exams. Clearly Jemma isn't the only magical genius in her family. Skye thinks that Jemma is plenty smart enough already without all the extra studying, though she learned long ago that pointing that out doesn't get her anywhere.

There are only two weeks before the OWLs are set to begin and Skye is pretty sure that she's never seen Jemma like this before. It breaks her heart in a way, watching her friend stress and push herself past her limit and continually second guess herself and her intelligence. Jemma has always been so self-assured, so confident and composed. Unfortunately Jemma seems to have forgotten that about herself.

It's a little after midnight when Skye has finally had enough. She's been sitting in the common room with Jemma, keeping her company even after everyone else has retired to their rooms for the night. Skye has been attempting to play Wizard Chess with herself (she's losing, whatever that means) and finally sits upright, pushing the board aside so that she can lean closer to Jemma.

"Okay, I think that's good for tonight." Skye says, reaching for the book on Jemma's lap. "I can tell you're exhausted, let's go to bed."

Jemma instantly tightens her grip around the book, yanking it out of Skye's hands. "Skye, stop." She chides. "This is important."

"So is sleep." Skye points out, snatching the book away the second Jemma relaxes her grip. "No more studying."

"Skye!" Jemma snaps, lunging toward the book like it's a matter of life or death that it be returned to her grasp. "Stop! What are you doing?"

Skye holds the book out of her reach, giving her a pointed look. Jemma seems to have suddenly realized that her actions are making her seem like a mad woman and she deflates slightly, looking embarrassed by her outburst. "You need a break." Skye informs her frankly, setting the book aside and getting to her feet. "Come on."

Jemma looks at her doubtfully, cocking her head. "Where?"

Skye just holds her hand out to Jemma. "Come on." She wiggles her finger impatiently until Jemma finally takes her hand and allows Skye to pull her to her feet.

"We aren't supposed to be the hallways after curfew." Jemma reminds her as they slip out of the Gryffindor dorm and into the passageways. "Remember?"

Skye arches an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, of course. I hope the Prefect doesn't catch us."

That seems to suitably relax Jemma. She follows Skye without further protest, sticking close to her as they move through the dark and empty hallways, trying to avoid anyone who might rat them out to the professors. Like the pictures on the wall or the ghosts that roam the school. Yeah, Skye never thought she'd have to worry about a painting busting her for being out after curfew but she figures that life is just full of surprises.

Skye leads Jemma up toward the astronomy tower, where they're spent more than a few nights thanks to the requirements of the class. But it's different now; the tower is empty and it's just the two of them.

But the ceiling is still open to the sky above, affording them with a perfect view of the thousands of stars that shimmer in the sky overhead. Skye takes off her robe and spreads it out across the cool stone floor, sitting down and gesturing for Jemma to do the same. They both lay back, staring upward. The view, coupled with the presence of the girl beside her, makes Skye feel relaxed and content and she can feel Jemma starting to relax as well, the tension draining from her body.

"Isn't this better than studying?" Skye questions, turning her head so that she's looking at Jemma instead.

"I suppose." Jemma says grudgingly, though Skye is pretty sure the tone is all for show.

"Seriously, Jem," Skye says, putting her hand over Jemma's, "it's all going to be okay. You're the smartest person that I know. You don't have to make yourself crazy to do well. You just need to relax and trust yourself."

Jemma looks at her like she doesn't quiet know what to say. Instead she threads her fingers through Skye's. "Thank you." She says softly, turning her head back toward the stars.

After a moment, Skye does the same, studying the sky instead of the girl beside her. Jemma's hand is warm and solid against hers, making her feel tethered despite the endless expanse of stars and space stretching out overhead.

"Skye?"

There's something in Jemma's tone, a hint of seriousness that quickly makes Skye turn her head back in her direction, her brow furrowing. "Yeah?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

Skye feels her mouth go dry at the question and the memory is calls to mind. They haven't talked about that kiss in months; not even a single mention has been made of it ever, not even after it happened. Not to say that Skye hasn't thought about it or thought about kissing Jemma again but she'd honestly thought that the moment had slipped from Jemma's mind due to everything else going on. Or, worse, she'd wanted to forget about it and had never brought it up in hopes that Skye would forget about it too.

So Skye doesn't answer, unable to figure out the words to explain herself. Jemma swallows and turns her head away, pursing her lips. "Did you…" She sighs and forces herself to meet Skye's eyes once more. "Do you wish you hadn't?"

"What?!"

"It's okay, if you do." Jemma assures her quickly, her voice strained with the effort of sounding indifferent. "I mean I just…I just wondered. Because you haven't tried to kiss me again and I just didn't know if I should stop wishing that you would or-"

Skye moves closer to Jemma, silencing her by pressing their lips together. The kiss is a far cry from the fleeting touch in the barn loft months before. Now Skye can really feel how soft Jemma's lips are against her own and the need to kiss her and keep kissing her flares through her body like fire. Jemma shifts her body slightly, angling closer toward Skye, tentatively reaching up with her free hand before setting it against Skye's shoulder.

The simple touch seems to ignite that fire all over again and Skye kisses her again. They both jump in surprise when all the astronomy texts and star charts go flying off the shelves and hit the ground with a thud that echoes throughout the room. They both sit up quickly, only to relax when they realize the source of the noise. Skye laughs and blushes. "Sorry." She mumbles. "I still…haven't gotten a handle on the whole magic tied to emotion thing."

Jemma just smiles at her, tilting her head so she can kiss Skye's lips softly. Skye figures that she'll have to get a hand on the whole thing sooner rather than later because she plans on kissing Jemma a lot more in the future and it would be nice not to send things flying across the room every time she does.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye quickly discovers that kissing Jemma is the fastest way to distract her from studying and calm her anxieties.

Jemma seems to find this new tactic to be incredibly frustrating. Skye is pretty sure that it's all just an act.

* * * * * * * * 

Skye finds the OWL exams to be a punishment of the cruel and unusual sort and finds herself laboring through almost all of them, wishing that she had taken the professors and Jemma a little bit more seriously when they had suggested that she concentrate on her lessons and spend her free time studying.

To be fair, Skye has never spent her free time studying. That's just absurd.

Still, she's starting to have second thoughts.

Skye is pretty sure that she botches the potions exam because just looking at the questions makes her want to cry and put her head down and just stay there until someone drags her out. She cringes to think about Coulson getting her History of Magic essay on the Goblin Riots and wonders if that might be the straw that breaks the camel's back and makes him send her back to St. Agnes.

At least Skye feels pretty confident about her Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Though she's not sure what good that'll do her if that's the only thing she excels at.

She wonders if anyone has ever been kicked out of Hogwarts for being an extreme disappointment.

"I'm sure you did better than you think, Skye." Jemma says soothingly as she finishes treating and bandaging the wounds on Skye's hands from the Fire Crab that she failed to successfully feed and clean during her practical Care of Magic Creatures OWL. "We're always hardest on ourselves."

Skye thinks it's amusing how serene and peaceful Jemma sounds now. Gone is the frantically studying and tightly wound girl that she had seen even the day before. Now that all the exams are over, the old Jemma is back, contented and happy.

"Easy for you to say." Skye mutters. "You're a genius."

"Hey." Jemma says, putting her fingers on Skye's chin and lifting her head so that they're eye to eye. "No foolishness."

Skye starts to protest but Jemma leans forward, kissing her softly. Skye quickly forgets what they were even arguing about.

"I can hear you kissing." Fitz mumbles from the couch behind them. His face is buried in a pillow and he hasn't moved for the past thirty minutes, not since they returned from their last OWL exam and he flopped down and seemed resigned to never moving again. "Stop."

They both turn to look at him, amused by his comments. Skye had been certain that he was asleep. She laughs softly and leans toward Jemma again. "No." Fitz says before their lips can meet. "Knock it off. Girls." He scoffs.

Jemma rolls her eyes and settles for leaning into Skye, tucking herself against her side. Skye figures that'll have to do for now.

* * * * * * * * 

"You know what I'm really going to miss over the summer?" Skye questions with a smirk. "Being able to kiss you whenever I want."

Jemma arches an eyebrow. "Oh, I see. Not my smile or my sunny personality or my friendship. But my lips."

"No!" Skye says quickly, shaking her head. "You know that isn't true. I mean, you're super important to me. Jemma, you're my best friend and-"

"Skye," Jemma interrupts, cracking a smile, "I'm teasing you." Skye quickly snaps her mouth shut, appropriately chastened. "But all of that is good to know."

It isn't until they're saying their goodbyes at Kings Cross that Jemma presses her lips gently to Skye's cheek and whispers, "I'll miss kissing you too." Which, of course, makes Skye want to kiss her right then and there. She manages to hold off but just barely. It's going to be a long summer.

* * * * * * * * 

They send letters back to one another with almost frantic frequency and Skye is pretty sure that Jemma's owl gives her the evil eye every time he flaps back through the living room window.

"Do you guys not use cell phones?" Skye questions as she hands the bird back another letter. She's addressing Coulson, who is sitting on the couch behind her reading The Daily Prophet. "Text messaging?"

Coulson smirks, turning a page of the paper. "There are still some wizards who can't figure out how to a regular telephone works." He points out. "I want you to imagine trying to explain text messaging to Jemma's parents."

Skye groans and flops down on the other end of the couch, draping her legs over the arm rest. "It would be so much faster." She grumbles.

For a while, the only sound in the room comes from the rustle of the pages as Coulson continues to read through the newspaper. Skye stares up at the ceiling, mentally bemoaning the invention of summer and praying that she and Jemma will be able to meet up soon. Sure she misses kissing the other girl but it's definitely more than that. Jemma is still her best friend, one half of the duo that she spends the majority of her time with. Without the two of them what is she supposed to do? Make shapes out of the patterns on the ceiling?

"Is there something going on between you and Jemma?" Coulson questions and his words take Skye so much by surprise that she nearly rolls off the couch as she attempts to change her position so that she's face to face with him. Coulson is still reading the paper, apparently indifferent to the answer.

Skye arches an eyebrow. "What?"

Coulson shrugs. "You've always been close but…something seems different now."

Skye just buries her face in the couch cushions so that he can't see her pink cheeks or the smile on her face. Something is different between them now. Obviously. It's more than just the kissing, it's the closeness that comes with it and the trust that Skye feels like she's placed in the other girl. Jemma knows her better than anyone else ever has and now she's getting to learn a whole different part of her.

"I'll take that as a yes." Coulson remarks, turning another page in the paper.

Skye keeps her face hidden so she doesn't have to see the smug look on Coulson's.


	5. Part Five

Skye spends her sixteenth birthday with Jemma, begging off Coulson's suggestion that they have an actual party. She feels bad for not including Fitz but she also has the feeling that he would understand. Plus, it's her birthday isn't it? Isn't she supposed to get what she wants?

And what she wants is Jemma.

* * * * * * * * 

The results to her OWLs arrive, appropriately, by owl the week before Skye is due to return to Hogwarts. She looks at the package, grimacing before sliding it across the kitchen counter toward Coulson. "You open it."

Coulson clearly doesn't share her reservations because he picks up the envelope and breaks the wax seal on the back without hesitation. "Wait!" Skye says before he can withdraw the papers inside. "Do people get kicked out for being absolute failures? I just need to know what I'm dealing with here."

"You're not an absolute failure, Skye." Coulson chides, shaking his head. "And no, people aren't kicked out. At worst, you'll just have to retake the class with the fifth years."

Skye isn't quite sure how she feels about that. She takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay, I'm ready."

Thankfully, she's hasn't done as poorly as she thought. She actually scored a few Outstandings, excelling in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms. The only iffy areas are in Transfiguration, Astronomy and History and Skye is pretty sure that she can live with those. Not that Coulson seems to pleased about the latter.

"We'll have to see what we can do about your Transfiguration score." Coulson muses to himself as he studies the results.

"But Acceptable is good, right?" Skye questions. "It's…acceptable."

"Professors usually don't accept students into the higher level classes with an Acceptable score." Coulson tells her. "And you'll definitely want to continue on with Transfiguration. Most careers will require it."

Skye sighs and looks forlornly at the paper on the counter. "There's that word again. Career." She mumbles. "Can't I just go back to being a Muggle?"

Coulson looks at her, seeming mildly amused by this question. They both know that would never happen, so he doesn't even bother to justify her comment with a response. Skye can't imagine leaving this world behind for the one that she knew before.

* * * * * * * * 

"So, how did you do on your OWLs?"

The sheepish look on Jemma's face gives Skye the only answer that she needs.

Skye smiles smugly. "Told you."

Her face is still an inch or two away from Jemma's before Fitz snaps, "No. No bloody kissing."

Jemma groans and her head knocks back against the wall of the train car. "Fitz."

* * * * * * * * 

Due to some sweet-talking by Coulson, the Transfiguration professor allows Skye into her NEWT level class despite Skye's mediocre OWL score under the condition that she can demote her to her fifth year classes whenever she deems Skye's performance to be less than impressive. Skye also feels like her admittance into the class has something to do with the fact that she sees Jemma talking with Professor Hand for nearly forty-five minutes after class and then coincidentally becomes Skye's tutor the next day.

To further complicate matters, they're supposed to be practicing non-verbal spells. Skye can barely speak the right words aloud; how is she supposed to be able to think the spell correctly and strongly enough to make it work without the words even passing her lips.

"You make it look easy." Skye says, watching as Jemma turns her owl into a cup and then back again. "Do you think he minds that?"

"The transformations?" Jemma looks at the owl curiously. "Eule, do you mind?"

In response, the owl screeches loudly and spreads his wings, flapping upward and zooming toward the window. Skye laughs and looks at Jemma with a shrug. "I guess he minds."

"Well, there goes our test subject." Jemma mutters, setting aside her wand.

"That's okay." Skye assures her quickly. "I could definitely use a break."

Jemma rolls her eyes. "That's what you always say." She points out. "Even if we've only been studying for, oh I don't know, fifteen minutes."

Skye shrugs again. "That's fifteen minutes of solid studying." If, of course, you ignore her botched attempts to turn their goblets and text books into rats and flowers.

Thankfully Jemma doesn't protest. She just makes herself comfortable, leaning against the back of the couch, and then opens her arms when Skye moves closer to her. Skye lays her head against Jemma's shoulder and thinks this is definitely way better than studying. Definitely.

Absently, Jemma runs her fingers through Skye's hair and she has that faraway look on her face that lets Skye know that there's something bothersome on her mind. She doesn't have to wait for long to figure out what it is because Jemma questions, "Does Fitz seem a little different to you lately? He hasn't seemed like himself."

Skye arches an eyebrow but she doesn't move from her position because she's way too comfortable so Jemma will just have to miss out on her incredulous look. "You think so?"

Jemma makes a thoughtful noise. "Oh, I don't know. He just seems like he's up to something."

"I feel like I barely even see Fitz now that he's taking that Alchemy class." Skye points out. "He's always caught up doing something for that."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Jemma kisses Skye's forehead softly.

Skye smiles and closes her eyes, curling closer against Jemma. Way better than studying.

* * * * * * * * 

Jemma's suspicions are confirmed two days later when she and Skye turn a corner on their way to potions and see Fitz standing in one of the side nooks with Darcy Lewis. Kissing.

Jemma and Skye exchange looks and burst into laughter, shaking their heads. "Now I see why he's always so eager to go to his Alchemy study groups." Jemma remarks.

"Oi!" Skye shouts across the hallway, mimicking Fitz's thick accent and causing several people to turn in her direction. "No bloody kissing!"

Fitz pulls away from Darcy, glancing in their direction and somehow managing to look both annoyed and apologetic at the same time.

Jemma loops her arm through Skye's and drags her forward, propelling her down the hallway. "Terrible accent, by the way." She remarks. "We need to work on that."

* * * * * * * * 

Skye thinks it's only by sheer luck or a miracle named Jemma Simmons that she manages to stay in her NEWT level transfiguration class for the duration of her sixth year at Hogwarts. By the end of term, she feels like she can transform any object into something else and make it stay that way for more than two minutes. She also thinks it's a miracle that she's managed to make it through all her classes with the marks that she pulls in at the end of the year. It's a relief though, if she's being honest. Making it through Coulson's History of Magic class with a bunch of fifth years was a humbling experience.

Darcy Lewis joins them in their usual train car as they ride away from Hogwarts and back toward Kings Cross and every time it looks like Fitz is leaning in a little too close, Jemma and Skye immediately seize on the opportunity for a little payback. Fitz looks sufficiently chastised by the time they arrive at the train station.

"Can you believe it?" Darcy questions as they stand and get ready to disembark. "This time next year we'll be done with Hogwarts completely." She shakes her head. "On one hand I'm relieved but on the other it's like whoa how did that happen?"

Skye stops short, pausing in the doorway as Darcy's words sink in. She never really thought about it. Well, maybe the idea had settled in the back of her mind like an abstract thought but now it seems concrete and real. Their last year at Hogwarts. How has that escaped her notice?

But now that she's thought about it, Skye can't un -think about it. In a little over a year, she'll be eighteen. She used to dream about that moment when she was in St. Agnes, eagerly awaiting the day when she could walk away from that place and all the foster families that took her in but never kept her. When she could turn away from all that and never look back. When she could become her own person. Becoming her own person happened a lot sooner than Skye ever would have expected, thanks to a school that she never would have imagined existed. Now turning eighteen doesn't seem like freedom, it seems like being turned loose all over again.

And Skye knows that's ridiculous, that the end of school doesn't automatically mean the end of life as she knows it. But she's never been good at keeping people around unless they didn't have any other choice. How are things going to be when they aren't all forced to co-exist anymore?

Skye had been pretty sure that nothing could distract her from thinking about picking a career track and pointing herself on the way to her future but clearly she was wrong.

Skye knows that she's worrying unnecessarily. She knows that she's letting her worries and what-ifs weigh her down and ruin the months of freedom she has before she goes back to Hogwarts (for her last year ever) but she can't help it. She doesn't even bother to get off the floor when Coulson walks into the living room to find her lackadaisically flipping through channels on an endlessly loop, her eyes glued to the television.

Coulson steps in front of the TV and clicks it off. "Okay, out with it." He crosses his arms over his chest. "What's wrong?"

Skye lifts her eyes. "Huh?"

"My point exactly." Coulson looks at her expectantly. "What's going on with you? You've been strange all summer. Did something happen with you and Jemma?"

Skye shakes her head. "No." She mumbles. She goes to turn the TV back on but the remote lifts out of her hand, launching itself at the couch and hitting the cushions with a thump. Skye just sighs.

"Skye," Coulson says gently, coming to sit down on the floor beside her, "what's bothering you."

For a minute, Skye thinks about maintaining her silence and continuing on with the idea that there's nothing bothering her and that everything is perfectly fine in the world of Skye. But one look at the sympathetic and genuinely interested look on Coulson's face breaks her.

"What's going to happen?" She questions, her voice sounding small to her own ears. "At the end of the year? When we leave Hogwarts?"

Coulson looks at her, seemingly perplexed by the question. "Well, you'll start working in your chosen field and then-" He stops, apparently realizing what it is that Skye is really asking. He gives her a faint smile, resting his hand between her shoulder blades. "Skye, it's just a small change and-"

"It's not a small change." Skye interrupts, sitting up so that his hand falls away. "It's a pretty big change. And I know all about change. I know what happens when things start to change."

"You know," Coulson begins, "I didn't just become your legal guardian to make things easier for you over the summers." He gives her a pointed look. "We're family now, Skye. That's not going to change just because you graduate."

Family. Another one of those abstract concepts that Skye had never really let herself think too much about. She wonders if she ended up getting one of those after all when she stopped hoping for one every night before she went to bed or praying for one during Mass on Sundays even though she didn't believe in God.

"And I think you'll find that there are a few other people in your life who feel the same way." Coulson points out.

Skye really wants him to be right. She wants Jemma and Fitz to remain deeply rooted in her life even when they're done with classes and aren't all living together under the same roof. She wants to see Jemma every day; she wants Jemma her friend and the Jemma that she's falling in love with.

Maybe this will be a different sort of change, one that Skye doesn't have to spend the whole rest of her summer dreading.

* * * * * * * * 

"My mum thinks I should work for the Ministry of Magic." Jemma remarks even though it's Skye's birthday and they've managed not to talk about anything Hogwarts or future related all day and that's been just fine with Skye. "And my dad thinks I should be a professor."

Skye doesn't mind that this is the direction their conversation has switched in. Even though she doesn't really know what she wants to do with the next stage her life; even though she doesn't have a mom and dad to steer her in any direction, even if they're opposite ones. She can tell that Jemma has been thinking is over a lot, letting it weigh on her the way that the approaching OWL exams did and she wants nothing more than to help alleviate some of the stress that rests on the other girl's shoulders.

They're laying on the floor of Skye's bedroom, lethargic from walking around all day in the heat and the sun and the house is quiet around them because Coulson has been gone most of the day. Skye doesn't know when he's coming back but she's making the most of the opportunity of his absence anyway, spending time with Jemma in her bedroom instead of the "common areas."

"Well," Skye questions, rolling over onto her stomach and propping herself up on her forearms, "what does Jemma want to do?"

Jemma shrugs, her eyes still on the ceiling. "I don't know." She says thoughtfully and Skye wonders if she's asked herself that question yet. "I would like to help people, I think. Perhaps I would be a good Healer."

Skye smiles and nods, taking Jemma's hand and kissing her wrist softly. "I meant it before when I said you were the smartest person I know." She tells her. "I think you could do anything you wanted. And totally kick ass doing it too."

"Skye." Jemma chides, giggling. A smile stretches across her face and she turns her head toward the other girl. "You think so?"

Skye scoffs and rolls her eyes. "I know so." She assures Jemma. "Seriously."

Jemma smiles softly and beckons Skye closer to her. "Thank you," she murmurs against her lips, "I don't know what I would do without you."

Skye kisses her harder and doesn't resist when Jemma pulls her closer, curling her arm around the curve of her waist. Sure, she doesn't know when Coulson is coming back but it hardly seems important. Skye manages to kick the door closed and puts any thoughts that aren't about Jemma in the back of her mind.

* * * * * * * * 

"Did you always want to be a professor?" Skye questions as she helps Coulson load her trunk into the back of his car.

Coulson thinks over her question for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I guess not. When I was in Hogwarts, I thought about being an Auror; my dad died when I was a kid but that's what he did for a living. He always seemed like a superhero when my mom talked about him. Chasing down the dark wizards and keeping everything safe. I thought it would be cool to do that too."

Skye arches an eyebrow. "So why didn't you?"

Coulson sighs and just shakes his head. "Because I'm not a superhero."

Skye isn't so sure about that but she lets the subject drop, getting into the passenger seat of Coulson's car. An Auror. Interesting.

"They're specialists. They track down dark wizards and witches." Jemma explains when Skye asks her about Aurors as they make their way through Flourish and Blotts. "They stop anyone from using dark magic. It's supposed to be a dangerous job." She shrugs, glancing over at Skye. "Why do you ask?"

Skye mimics her shrug, absently running her fingers along the spines of the books crowded into the shelves around them. There are many titles she doesn't have a use for anymore, now that she's in her final year. Her next two semesters will look just like the two before it; her time for exploring different subjects and hobbies is over.

"Oh!" Jemma says brightly. "Are you thinking of applying to be an Auror?" She beams at Skye. "I think that's a wonderful idea. You'd be so good at it, Skye."

Skye gives her a skeptical look. "You really think so?"

Jemma nods. "You always get top marks in your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes." She points out.

Skye makes a thoughtful noise. Skye the Auror. She could probably work with that.

* * * * * * * * 

Conversations with the potions and herbology professors, as well as a lengthy discussion with the Healer at Hogwarts, seem to lead Jemma to what Skye considers is an inevitable conclusion that she should be a doctor. To Skye, it just makes perfect sense. In the Muggle world, someone as intelligent, studious and kind as Jemma would make a great doctor. Of course she'd fit in just as well with the magical equivalent.

Unfortunately, Jemma's parents don't seem to think so and she gets a handful of strongly-worded letters, delivered by owls that seem to be as disappointed in Jemma as their masters. The letters get dropped into the middle of her plate at breakfast and lunch for three days, in plan view of anyone who happens to be paying attention. Jemma plays the letters off as trivial or (even worse, if you ask Skye) something worth considering.

But Skye knows better. Because it's her bed that Jemma slips into at night and she's the one that Jemma clings to as she expresses her doubts and concerns in a whispered voice, her words trapped under the blankets that they have pulled over their heads. Skye just holds her close and strokes her hair, rubbing her back and listening. She thinks it's a little ridiculous honestly. What kind of parents don't want their kid to become a doctor?

All Jemma's doubts seem to vanish when the school Healer arranges for her to take a little "field trip" to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries with some of the other seventh years considering becoming Healers. When Jemma returns, it's like everything has suddenly clicked into place for her; her eyes are brighter, her shoulders are straighter and her smile is more genuine than Skye has seen it over the past few days.

Skye listens attentively that night as Jemma explains her visit to St. Mungo's. Once again, they have the astronomy tower to themselves and the space has become sort of the default place they retreat to when they desperately need to be alone. As she listens, Skye feels a sinking feeling start to settle over her chest, drenching her insides with ice water that seems to freeze her all the way through.

They have only a few months left of their time at Hogwarts. Months. The change that Skye had been dreading, the change that she'd tried to convince herself wouldn't be so horrible after all, is rapidly approaching and suddenly she doesn't feel ready at all. And as she listens to Jemma talking about going to St. Mungo's after graduation, Skye realizes that the change is going to happen whether she wants it to or not. No more classes with Jemma and Fitz, no more studying with her best friends in the Gryffindor Common Room. No more sneaking off into the astronomy tower. No more wrapping her arms around Jemma as they curl together to share the space of Skye's bed. Jemma will leave and go to St. Mungo's. Skye will leave and hopefully (fingers crossed) start her training as an Auror. Things will be different.

"So you're leaving?" Is the first thing that Skye says when Jemma finally finishes her account of her trip.

Jemma is still smiling, seemingly oblivious to the tightness in Skye's tone and on her face. "Well, not until after graduation of course." She remarks with a shrug. "But, yes I suppose."

Skye just nods, trying to let the idea settle upon her. Trying to let herself get used to it. Jemma reaches for her hand, linking their fingers together. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Skye mutters and Jemma nudges her with her elbow. "It's just weird to think about. We're not going to be together anymore."

Something flickers across Jemma's face and Skye feels her fingers tighten around her own. "What do you mean?"

Skye sighs, closing her eyes. "I mean, you're going to be going off to be a doctor or whatever and I'm going to start training or something and we're going to…" She waves her hand as though the gesture will be able to make up for the words that she can't seem to find.

Jemma relaxes but only minutely. "Oh. You mean we won't be living together anymore." There's a touch of relief in her tone. "Well, that's not necessarily true. I mean we could always make something work." She studies Skye closely, the tension seeping back into her shoulders. "You do want to…give it a try? Be together, I mean?"

Skye looks over at her. "Yeah I mean. I…of course." She purses her lips. "I just know what can happen. People leave."

Jemma rests her hand against Skye's cheek, tracing the curve of her face with her thumb. "Skye, you're my best friend." She says softly. "You're…you're much more than that to me. I love you."

Skye's eyes grow wide and she stares at Jemma. "Really?"

Jemma laughs and shakes her head. "Of course, don't be daft." She chides, smiling. "We might be perusing different careers but that doesn't mean we'll never see each other. It just means that our living situation will be different. Which might not necessarily be a bad thing."

"You mean you don't like sharing a room with four other people?" Skye questions, arching an eyebrow.

"Not when most of them snore." Jemma remarks, shaking her head.

Skye kisses her and Jemma smiles against her lips and suddenly nothing else seems to matter. Not the impending end of the school year or any of the other fears that have been plaguing her for months. Because she suddenly realizes, as she kisses Jemma and pulls her closer, that people do leave. She knows this with the certainty that only comes from being the one that gets left behind. But that just means that you have to find the people who will stick around. And Skye feels pretty good about the odds all of the sudden.


End file.
